Wilson wrong to attack one of the doughtiest defenders of Scotland’s NHS

Brian Wilson’s meandering article on Lewis, Trump and the NHS (Perspective, 9 February) touches on the Dewar report and the Highlands and Islands Medical Service which predated the NHS in Scotland.

He cites it as an exemplar of UK Government in Scotland pre-devolution. However, it is worth remembering that it was the sheer awfulness and neglect of social conditions and medical services in the Highlands and Islands under the same UK Government which prompted that belated but welcome development.

Wilson then degenerates into an unpleasant diatribe against an extremely loyal servant and defender of Scotland’s NHS (as well as an excellent clinician), Dr Philippa Whitford MP. The “gross misrepresentation” to which he refers to is absurd; it involved getting a name wrong, for which she apologised.

The body of her 2014 referendum prediction is, sadly, coming to pass, with largescale privatisation of clinical services in England, for example to Virgin Medical, records and support services to, for example, Capita, and rationing of certain surgical procedures, eg treatment of macular degeneration, cataract, hip and knee surgery. And, postbrexit, trade agreements with the United States will open the NHS to US companies with aggressive cost cutting and dilution of working standards.

Although these changes are limited to the English NHS, the nature of funding of Scotland’s services mean cuts south of the Border will inevitably have a knock-on effect in Scotland unless the Scottish Government yet again finds additional funds to mitigate UK Government policy in Scotland. It is ironic that Brian Wilson’s defence of the health service as managed by a Tory Government in England is simply so that he can attack one of the Scottish Health Service’s doughtiest defenders.

IAN GRANT Ashburnham Gardens

South Queensferry