Letters - January 11, 2017

I am wondering if the following factors have contributed to this winter’s NHS crisis:

* The reluctance of doctors to prescribe antibiotics when, for instance, coughing caused by flu is at an early stage;

* The reluctance of doctors to refer patients to specialists at an early stage.

As regards prescribing antibiotics, this is to prevent the development of ‘super bugs’, but one wonders if this policy is counterproductive if it results in allowing illnesses to get worse so that more hospital beds are required to cope with illnesses which might otherwise have been cured much earlier.

As regards the reluctance to refer patients to specialists, I understand this is because of the rules governing GPs’ budgets.

However, one has to ask if the NHS is a free service any more when patients with serious conditions have to pay for an initial consultation and scan before the NHS will take the case on? If the GPs are unwilling to pay through their budgets, and the patient has limited means, should it be a surprise if 
A&E departments get overloaded?

Paul Andrews

Via email

FRACKING

Is Northern Forest taking root here?

When I heard the announcement of a Northern Forest, stretching from Liverpool to Hull, the first thought that sprang to mind is that this is a physical implementation of the North-South divide, the second thought that it will encourage the South to feel safe, distant and protected from ‘us northerners’.

Today, looking at the plan on the BBC Facebook video I note that, as well as stretching East West, the ‘ribbon of woodland’ will reach north from Manchester, in a big curve wrapping around the Fylde, but leaving clear the oil and gas exploration areas of Cuadrilla and Aurora Energy Resources near Formby.

At best an unfortunate coincidence !

T Froud

Lytham

CUTS

When is our library going to reopen?

Pleased to hear about Freckleton Library reopening. I am waiting to hear when it’s our turn at the library on Victoria Road, Thornton.

I’m sure people living here miss it as much as I do.

Lilian Smith

Aintree Road
Thornton

BREXIT

We must fight for what we believe in

This year will be a pivotal point in our country’s history and it is vital the government ensures that the will of the people, as demonstrated in the Referendum, is properly enacted.

We don’t want half measures and fudging which could mean that we leave the EU in name only and are still burdened with their rules. And we would have no MEPs to represent our interests. We voted Out and Out it must be.

We are in a strong bargaining position as we buy around £65bn worth of goods a year more from the EU states than they do from us. We are the world’s main banking centre and foreign companies are still investing here, and will continue to do so, despite the continuing ‘Operation Fear’.

Next week the EU Withdrawal Bill is due for its Report and Third Reading Stages in the House of Commons and already a host of Report Stage amendments have been tabled. Theresa May’s government must be both wary and firm.

The passage ahead through both Houses will be stormy and littered with obstacles and I have grave doubts about the will of our government to actually achieve Brexit. But there must be no turning back nor making unnecessary concessions to either opposing MPs or the EU.

Historians will look back at this time and judge the mettle of our people by what happens now.

The records need to show that we fought for what we believe in and succeeded.

Paul Nuttall

North West MEP
UK Independence Party