It is worrying to see five people die at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, during the recent outbreak of C.Diff, yet Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon still doesn’t think a public inquiry is needed at Tayside’s busiest hospital.
Instead a health and hygiene hit-squad, coincidentally the brainchild of her SNP Government, is deemed more appropriate.
Professor Hugh Pennington, a recognised expert in superbugs, has raised serious questions over NHS Tayside’s ability to deal with this growing problem.
But rather than allay the fears of the public, this move hints at a complacency and cover-up within the Scottish Government.
Why didn’t Nicola Sturgeon speak out when she first learned about the outbreak? For a start, our politicians should be open and transparent with the public. They talk about it often enough. If we’re to take them at face value, a public inquiry will answer outstanding questions and restore confidence.
This should be the mission statement from NHS Tayside and the SNP Government to the people of Dundee and Tayside. — C. Chrystal.
Candy gun vile product
Vile product: the candy gun.
Sweetie cigarettes for children were wrong for obvious reasons, but they are nothing compared to the new kid on the block that has seared a disturbing image on my mind.
My introduction would make any parent recoil — I walked into my six-year-old daughter’s bedroom to find her repeatedly pulling the trigger of a gun she had in her mouth.
After calmly ‘disarming’ her, I found the gun to be a plastic Candy Pistol that fires spherical sugar bullets.
In theory, a kid could shoot confection into their hand and then put it in their mouth, but as the gun-in-mouth method cuts out a step this is the one children tend to use.
The makers of this vile product should hang their heads in shame for their lack of social responsibility and commonsense. — Concerned Dad, Arbroath.
Referendum not priority
As Alex Salmond proposes to introduce his referendum on whether Scotland should leave Britain, a major survey suggests it is near the bottom of a long list of priorities Scots voters believe the SNP Government should be addressing.
Of the seven categories rated as a priority, a referendum was listed only sixth.
The YouGov poll highlighted only one in eight (12%) believing a referendum as the priority, way behind 63% demanding action on reducing unemployment and 36% looking for action on drug misuse.
Worse for the SNP is how these Scots viewed their vote in any future referendum.
Using Mr Salmond’s question, around six in 10 said they would vote No while three in 10 intended to vote Yes.
This poll is a huge blow to Mr Salmond’s political aspirations and rather than show the First Minister leading Scotland the poll suggests Mr Salmond is out of touch with ordinary Scots. — Pollster.
Councillors’ hypocrisy?
Voters in Dundee know opportunism and hypocrisy when they see it, but two recent Tele stories are hard to beat for sheer neck.
Labour’s former education convenor Councillor Bidwell says he is now unhappy about car parking spaces at the new Grove Academy, a project which he signed off as convenor, and Labour’s former deputy education convenor Tom Ferguson now says he is unhappy at the merger of schools in Lochee, which he pushed through the council.
In the summer, the Lib-Dem’s Councillor MacPherson was heard loudly complaining about the appalling state of the roads — after eight years of him being the roads convenor!
Funny they didn’t mention their concerns when they were in charge a few short months ago. — No Sae Daft.
Forth Road Bridge
News that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to fund all bridge replacements and repairs in Cumbria after the recent deluge will rightly be welcomed by those communities most affected.
However, this puts into sharp perspective Scotland’s need to replace the Forth Road Bridge, which was met with a predictable response from London.
In a recent parliamentary debate an English MP urged the Prime Minister to “stand firm” and resist a Scottish Government plea for extra money for the new bridge.
He believed Scotland received “shedloads” of cash from the British taxpayer.
It is time that London Labour stopped its belligerent attitude to Scotland and helped those it was elected to serve, rather than pick fights with the Scottish Government. — The Watchman.
Danger crossing
I point out an extremely dangerous procedure I have to regularly carry out, crossing over from Claypotts Park into Dawson Park in Dundee.
This is one of the most dangerous roads in the city for any member of the public.
I have to cross over there twice or three times daily, with my two dogs, and think the authorities should be looking at the clear danger this represents. — Mandy Bateman, Dundee.
McManus trees
I could not agree more with the reader who complained about the removal of the flowering cherry trees from Dundee’s McManus Gallery.
They have turned a lovely flowering area into a sea of paving bricks with monuments isolated in the middle.
It was summed up by a passing lady who said the planners have turned Dundee back to the concrete jungle of the 60s. — Bonnie Dundee.
Hockey query
Are you interested in playing inline roller hockey? We are the Dundee Ducks and meet on a Monday night at the Dick McTaggart (from 6pm). We are looking for new players (all age groups) with beginners welcome.
Contact Graeme.R.Anderson@hotmail.co.uk for more information. — Player.
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