Help us to spread the message about support

MANY of your readers may have lost a loved one or cared for someone living with a terminal illness.

Marie Curie has been most closely associated with caring for people with terminal cancer, but as the UK’s leading terminal illness charity we know that people with other diseases need the care and support provided by Marie Curie and other palliative care specialists.

We have just published a report which suggests that people living with a terminal illness other than cancer, such as heart failure, COPD, dementia, end stage liver disease and motor neurone disease, as well as conditions such as Parkinson’s and acute stroke, are less likely to be offered or have access to palliative and end of life care services.

Yet this could make a real difference, not only to them, but to their families and carers.

Many patients are missing out on the opportunity to get the care and support they need, simply because health professionals don’t know who is responsible for providing this care and who could benefit.

We want that to change.

We have written to Medical and Nurse directors across the UK asking them to do three simple things to improve care and support for patients and their families affected by terminal illness:

Make certain that all medical and nursing staff know how to contact palliative care teams.

Ensure that information on palliative care is widely available.

Increase access to palliative care for all those who could benefit.

This includes people with all terminal illnesses, as well as people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and strokes.

If your readers would like to help Marie Curie spread this message across Manchester and the surrounding areas, I would encourage them to visit mariecurie. org. uk/change. Berni Hardman Divisional general manager North West Marie Curie

TAKE ACTION ON FLY-POSTING

I FIND it incomprehensible that not one Stockport councillor does not read the letters page of this esteemed local newspaper.

Especially the ruling Lib Dem variety. Hence a comment on Pheobe Williams’ letter last week apropos criminal fly-posting.

I had a letter published in the April 22 issue outlining exactly the same issues around the conservation areas of the historic Underbanks.

Plus illegally placed A-boards, tables and chairs and parked cars.

No response was forthcoming, the result being nothing has changed and only gotten worse with hundreds of fly-postings for the recent Headlander Festival and upcoming circuses, wresting bouts and their ilk.

So let’s go direct to the executive councillor responsible for this disgrace, Martin Candler, and ask him why have you allowed this part of Stockport Old Town to become a no-holdsbarred target for criminal fly-posting?

The three Central and Brinnington ward Labour councillors must also take some responsibility here too. Thomas G Dunn address supplied

WIT’S END ON CATS PROBLEM

WE are at our wit’s end, can any readers help with the problem of cat fouling?

We have tried everything we can to deter this filthy habit, as there is a danger to the health of children playing in the garden. We need a proven method if anybody can help. Betty Stokes Pensarn Grove Reddish

COUNTY BUY IS A MISTAKE

IT is in amazement that I read that the council are to buy Edgeley Park when vital services are either being cut or indeed shut down completely.

This means that 3,000 people can enjoy 90 minutes of very mediocre football every two weeks, when possibly others are going without the help or activities to help them enjoy a better lifestyle (if that’s indeed at all possible).

This council should hang its head in shame but never mind we will have at least a councillor on the board at Edgeley Park. No, I refuse to say football. MD Cawley Northcliffe Road Offerton