Stop this waste of NHS resources

I FELL off my bike in May and had to have an emergency hip replacement at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. This month, on taking back to the Falkirk depot the occupational therapy equipment for it to be re-used, I was informed they took the shower stool and high toilet seat but not the walking frame, elbow crutches or litter pickers. They could be dumped in the skip there, where we could both see a good number of people had already taken the advice. When I asked if any other place would take them I was advised to go to the health centre. The two receptionists there said although they also thought it was a drain on NHS money they were not allowed to take those items either. When we persevered and went to our local hospice charity shop, they eventually took them.

However, on talking to our daughter from Fife later about the problem, she said her local health clinic took back her elbow crutches with no problem. Surely this should be the case throughout Scotland and the Government should be made aware of the cost to the NHS this has been and will be if other regions areas unhelpful as ours? Mrs Isabel Henderson, Falkirk.

Cancel turbine orders

ANOTHER depressing report in the business section on the downturn in manufacturing and job losses at Rolls-royce and other manufacturers (“Rolls-royce’s future in Scotland ‘under review’ after record loss”, The Herald, August 28). The Scottish Government can act to avert these losses by cancelling all existing contracts for wind turbines and re-tendering with a requirement that all manufacturing take place in Scotland. After all, it promised 28,000 green energy jobs but has only delivered 1,700 to date.

Bill Eadie, Giffnock.