Think We all owe so much to the vaccine scientists Belt buckles didn’t save the Germans
Ecletters@walesonline.co.uk @WalesOnline facebook.com/WalesOnline Media Wales, 6 Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1XR How can NHS Trust justify £200m on new unit?
AT LAST, at last! After so much bad news and misery, a glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel.
The invention of a possible effective vacc ine against the deadly virus that has blighted all our lives in varying degrees for nearly a year will undoubtedly be a saviour.
Whilst many scientists have been involved in this process, and their identity may never be revealed, we all owe a great debt of gratitude to them. They collectively deserve the highest accolade bestowed on them for overcoming the faceless and most deadly enemy, in what has been effectively the “Third World War”.
My uncle has just turned 90, and whilst only a child and therefore not actively involved in World War II, told me during my recent conversation with him, that this is the worst global experience for him since then.
So if all goes according to plan and the vaccine is deemed safe and effective for everyone, what will it mean to us? In a word, everything.
Although those who have lost loved ones can never be consoled, the future of the emotional and physical health of those remaining will be immeasurable, and the prospect of “normality” returning will be universally anticipated.
So what price should we put on our own lives? Who can possibly answer that? Perhaps we could consider giving a voluntary contribution to our favourite charities who have inevitably been affected during this pandemic.
Let us all reflect on this and perhaps, by our future acts, give back kindness and love to a world where we have all suffered together. Carole A Smith
Cyncoed, Cardiff
I WRITE in response to the letter from Professor Mead (“Ambulance figures were misleading”, Echo letters, November 9), challenging some aspects of previous correspondence questioning the safety of the service model for the New Velindre Cancer Centre.
This appears to be a partial and selective response.
No-one disputes the need for a new build to allow the incredible work undertaken by the staff at Velindre to continue. The issue we have raised as clinicians concerns the proposed model for the New Velindre. The current hospital is on a stand-alone site, unsupported by the many specialities required to care for acutely unwell patients.
At the New Velindre, there will be no surgery, interventional radiology, intensive care, on-site expertise for medicine, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, gynaecology. All of these require transfer to another site before specialist treatment can commence.
To the casual reader, the figures for 2019 presented by Prof Mead appear acceptable, with “only” 11 Red Calls, which are immediate lifethreatening emergencies such as cardiac/respiratory arrest and choking.
She did not mention the 69 Amber One and Two calls in the 105 x 999 calls in 2019. (63 Amber One, six Amber Two). These are not routine transfers. These patients need urgent help not available at Velindre.
The Amber One and Two categories include:
Abdominal pain; allergic reactions (not alert, difficulty breathing);
breathing problems;
■ chest pains (abnormal breathing, changing colour, clammy, sweaty); ■ convulsion/fitting (continuous or multiple fits);
■ heart problems;
■ haemorrhage/laceration;
■ sick person (including not alert); ■ stroke; and
■ unconscious.
These were emergencies, in patients already sick due to the underlying illness that brought them to Velindre.
The idea of using the 999 system for routine transfers might be viewed as an abuse of the emergency system, denying patients in the community these vital resources.
Eighty times in 2019, Velindre needed to escalate care to an acute hospital via a 999 ambulance; 80 Red and Amber One and Two. Similar figures were recorded for the preceding three years. The 25 Green calls using the 999 system may include patients transferred for treatment not available at Velindre.
The Trust has a duty to report any serious incidents to the Welsh Government. Prof Mead states: “Over the past five years no serious incidents have been reported to Welsh Government due to preventable deaths onsite relating to a delay in transfer to an acute hospital.”
The Freedom of Information inquiry included details of an unexpected death. Out of respect for the family, this will not be discussed to avoid distress.
The Trust stated in its FOI response: “The case was not reported as a serious incident as it did not meet the threshold for reporting.”
Is an unexpected death not a serious incident? What is the threshold for reporting an unexpected death at Velindre?
The trust also stated: “The organisation does not hold one overall system that collates all patient interventions and transfers.
“We can confirm patients are transferred to other acute hospitals for a range of interventions and the details are accessible by clinical staff in the individual patient record.”
There is no central database that
They deserve the highest accolade for overcoming the faceless and most deadly enemy...
Carole A Smith Cyncoed
collates the information for patients requiring escalation of care from Velindre to other units in South-East Wales. If Velindre NHS Trust does not know what is happening in the present, how can it plan for the future?
How can it justify spending more than £200m on a new unit when it does not know what it needs to provide? The patients and staff deserve better.
Dr Ray Monsell
MSc MBBCh FFSEM Dip Sport Med Dip IMC RCSEd
Cardiff
I WAS intrigued to learn that God rescued the soldiers from Dunkirk (“Prayers could be the answer”, Echo letters, November 12). I assume the writers are talking about the Christian god and not the myriad other versions in today’s market place.
During World War I the Germans had “Gott mit uns” (“God with us”) on their belt buckles yet they copped an unfortunate one. I assume Kaiser
Bill had some sort of contract with the “all highest”? It appears the almighty reneged on the deal, which is doubly unfortunate for had the contract been honoured and Germany emerged victorious there would have been no need for the horrors of World War II.
James Barry, Gabalfa, Cardiff
Exams cancellation is right decision
I DON’T often praise the Welsh Government, but Kirsty Williams’ decision to cancel exams next year is spot-on.
And when our children receive their grades in 2021 we will be rightly proud of their achievements in these most difficult of times. And maybe, just maybe, thought could be given to scrapping exams altogether and moving to an assessment system which is fair to all students.
Ian Brown
Penygraig, Rhondda
ACROSS
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