NHSduringpandemic
Dear Editor,
The demands placed on Scotland’s health service by the coronavirus pandemic have intensified pleas for an increase in funding for Scottish NHS.
However, although responsibility for the NHS in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, its funding is not and has to be found from the Scottish Parliament’s block grant provided by Westminster.
If huge sums of Scottish taxpayers’ money were not being used to pay Scotland’s share of the cost of renewing and maintaining Britain’s nuclear submarine fleet, there would be funds available to properly support the Scottish NHS.
However, this will only be possible when Scotland is independent once more, able to raise and control all its own finances and to decide here in Scotland the priorities of Scots for spending the money.
Susan Swain
BreastCancerNow
Dear Editor,
Living with or beyond breast cancer is never easy – treatment, scans and the physical and mental impacts can take their toll.
Entering the first national lockdown a year ago, people affected by breast cancer faced additional challenges, such as appointments and treatments being paused or cancelled, and at a time of social isolation and separation from loved ones.
As a Clinical Nurse Specialist on Breast Cancer Now’s Helpline, I hear daily how the pandemic has exacerbated an already worrying and uncertain time for people affected by breast cancer.
That’s why, when Covid-19 paused our face-to-face events and courses, we rapidly moved our services online, so that we could continue to be there for people who we know need our support now more than ever – our Online Services mean we’re one click away for anyone, at any time, following a breast cancer diagnosis.
Thanks to support received from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, our Moving Forward Online courses help people adjust to life after hospital treatment, offering specialist information and the chance to connect in a safe space with others who understand.
Through Younger Women Together Online, women aged up to 45 join small groups to meet and hear from experts on issues including treatment, fertility, exercise, and mental health.
For people living with incurable secondary breast cancer, we know how valuable it is to connect with others who share similar uncertainties and challenges, so our Living With Secondary Breast Cancer Online course is available 24/7, offering emotional wellbeing support and information.
No-one should face breast cancer alone; we’re always here, via our Helpline and our Online Services. Sign up now: breastcancernow.org/onlineservices
Rachel Rawson, Breast Cancer Now clinical nurse specialist
Uswitch wanted to raise awareness to help prevent so many unnecessary deaths, much the same as what we are aiming for with our campaign.
Here’s the report: https://www. uswitch.com/car-insurance/guides/ roadkill-report/
We are of course concerned with all animal deaths on our roads, hence why we created our very own awareness day.
However, our campaign centres around cats due to our own personal experiences of pet loss to the road.
There are so many concerning aspects to this Uswitch study, but one in particular is regarding the misunderstood laws section. The poll found that a massive 73 per cent of drivers thought that they would be liable to pay the vet bill if they took an animal to them that had been injured by the roadside.
A survey we did a couple of years ago also found this to be in the top three reasons people did not stop when they hit a cat.
Vets must not unreasonably refuse to facilitate the provision of first aid and pain relief for all species.
The primary consideration of UK vets should be to relieve the animal’s pain and suffering in line with section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act, to not leave an animal to unnecessarily suffer. Drivers taking in any injured animal is not liable to pay any cost, it is an obligation veterinary practices have.
Carlie, Cats Matter charity
CatsMatterworry