Letters - Wednesday, March 18. 2020

I received a call at 8.45am this morning that Blackpool Sports Centre has had to cancel all Active Blackpool classes for the foreseeable future because of Government advice.

The Active Blackpool classes cover people who have had cardiac conditions, COPD, and people with mobility problems.

If we have to stay indoors for 14 weeks then those over 70 years olds who are fit and healthy will no longer be so, due to a lack of exercise and fresh air. This will make them less healthy and they will find that with worsening health also comes a lowered immunity system thereby making the problem worse in a few months.

Will they freeze our direct debits or just continue to take them out of our banks?

When we are avoiding crowded places how many will be in the Houses of Parliament led by an idiot?

Terry Bennett

Park Ward

Gazette Community Writer

Dinmore Avenue

Blackpool

VIRUS

Use private health care beds in crisis

There is growing evidence that local people are losing faith in the Government’s ability to cope with the rapidly developing coronavirus crisis.

The Government’s decision-making lacks clarity of purpose, leaving many people and organisations to decide what is best for themselves and not the greater good. This is clearly evident in people stockpiling goods, creating a domino effect of panic buying as anxiety becomes fear within our communities.

The medical professionals are stating we do not have enough doctors, nurses, beds and equipment to maintain current services and provide treatment for patients with coronavirus.

This will result in more people dying of the coronavirus in Lancashire prematurely. They claim the National Health Service has been underfunded for many years due to austerity and cannot be revived overnight.

We need a rapid expansion of our health services. The quickest and most practical way to do this is by the Government requisitioning all private health care beds and medical facilities. The Government has the powers to do this but they lack the will.

The staff, facilities and equipment are already at a professional standard that would just require a public focus.

There will also be a growing backlog of non-urgent conditions becoming urgent, which are not coronavirus related.

The private facilities could be used to deal with these cases, reducing the possible cross infection of the virus to vulnerable people undergoing urgent treatment.

Lancashire County Council plays a major role in supporting elderly and disabled people in the community, keeping them out of hospitals.

We have fantastic teams of directly employed and contracted staff who show true dedication to the people they care for.

However, in Lancashire, we do not have the capacity or trained support staff to carry out the latest advice. For everyone over 70 to self-isolate for up to four months in their own homes, without the right support in place, is a stupid idea.

Lancashire Labour Group will be putting the following motion to the next full council meeting.

We recognise that motions on their own may not have much effect on the Government’s decision-making but if we all spoke together then they might start to listen.

“Lancashire County Council calls upon the Government to requisition all private health care beds and medical facilities in Lancashire to increase the capacity of our National Health Service in dealing with the coronavirus for the good of Lancashire people.

“That the chief executive rights to the Secretary of State for Health expressing this proposal to be taken under emergency powers.”

Coun John Fillis

Labour Shadow Health and Wellbeing

Lancashire County Council

VIRUS

Have we turned into a nation of bakers?

I went to the shop super early this morning to buy, amongst other things some toilet roll and saw that even at this time there was no bread flour. The virus is awful but at least we shall be a nation of accomplished amateur bakers when it’s all over... or maybe all that stockpiled food will just rot in the back of the bedroom wardrobe.

Una Hubbard

South Shore