Your views on new King's Lynn hospital, Conservative voters, the Wash barrier plan, the Palace racism row and the Macmillan buddy scheme
Here are the letters from this Tuesday's Lynn News...
New build would save money after just a decade
I was angered, as I imagine many others were, to see on James Wild’s Twitter that he and Liz Truss have yet again visited the QEH; this time to promote the letter they have sent to the Secretary of State. As MPs they have more at their disposal than letters.
Where are the early day motions, adjournment debates or written questions? While Liz Truss was prime minister she could have forced the issue but neglected to do so.
Our parliamentary representatives are failing spectacularly at representing the patients and hard working staff at the QEH.
I’ve met countless people in recent weeks who are worried about the conditions their loved ones are being treated in and conditions that our heroic NHS workers are forced to work in.
Now the government wants to make patients and staff pay for their economic mess and are cutting the budget to make these essential repairs. North West Norfolk deserves so much better.
The QEH is falling apart at the seams, while the Conservatives sit on their hands. The terminal state of the hospital is not only a scandal in itself. It is also a symptom of this Conservative government’s dire mismanagement of our NHS.
People here have had enough of record GP, dentist and ambulance waiting times.
The fault lies squarely at the feet of Conservative ministers and successive Prime Minister, including Liz Truss.
It is their inaction, can kicking, and their disinterest which has led us to this disastrous point. They should lay out a plan to fully fund a rebuilt QEH that we so desperately need.
Nichola Hunter, the QEH’s acting director of estates, has previously said £90m was being spent on shoring up the current hospital.
When compared to current estimates for a rebuilt Queen Elizabeth Hospital at £862m, a rebuilt QEH would end up saving taxpayers money after about a decade, by eliminating much of the ever increasing and wasteful maintenance programme that is keeping the current QEH open.
Cllr David Sayers
Gaywood North & Central, Norfolk County Council
More action is needed to keep Tory voters
Whilst I share the views on Liz Truss expressed by Jim Mitchell (‘Does she think she can hold on?’) and Steve Mackinder (‘She’ll cling on’), more action is needed in the long term if the Tory Party is to retain all the voters it has in South West Norfolk, such as:
- More focus on answering letters from constituents;
- Greater limit on the power of Central Office on imposing their own candidates when there are equally qualified candidates available locally;
- Set a minimum number of visits per month that an MP must visit the constituency, even if they hold national office.
Ann Palmer
Cockley Cley
A mixed bag of harm and benefits
The current flurry of ‘PR’ messages, articles and letters of support and objections to the fanciful notion of a huge tidal barrier across The Wash suggests this idea is likely to be very controversial.
There is no doubt the big money dream to sell the idea to investors, residents and local government agencies has started but there will undoubtedly be two very major features of this project which won’t have been addressed.
The first is whatever number the promoters pluck out of the ether for the construction costs it will probably double by the time its finished and the second outcome from this project will be the things affected, damaged or ruined by the law of unintended consequences.
Delicate ecosystems, communities, rural views vistas and lifestyles and economies will be irrevocably changed. It was only after a huge project to divert the Great Ouse away from its intended exit via the tidal sluices at Denver to reservoirs in Essex that they realised they’ve catastrophically wrecked the Sluice’s role as a strategic flood water critical exit outflow.
So little water exits the Sluice into tidal water to flush the river every day now that the huge Sluice tidal doors are now silted up with millions of tonnes of mud, effectively blocking the outflow and it is believed when another great flood comes Denver Sluice will fail to perform as intended, with potentially biblical consequences.
This Wash tidal barrier might seem like a cure for all our ills... my guess is it’ll be a very mixed bag of harm and benefits and the problems at Denver could well pale into insignificance if the entire Wash ecosystem of marshes and river outflows is compromised by this barrier.
Steve Mackinder
Denver
Not offended when asked where I’m from
Snowflakery reached a new low at a Buckingham Palace event when the late Queen’s Lady in Waiting asked a British charity worker, Ngozi Fulani, where she was “really” from, seemingly innocuous to the informed. A person does not get Britishness undermined if their roots are politely enquired into.
The Palace described the remarks as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”.
There was a time when the staff would have dismissed complaints about Prince Philip’s satire and quips as petty, but times have demonstrably changed.
Downham is my adopted retirement place of residence and occasionally I get asked what part of Northern Ireland I’m from when people hear my accent.
I don’t say “I’m offended” and treat it as part of making conversation, but my generation was resilient and we didn’t need woke complaint QUANGOs to prop us up.
To be Irish about it, and don’t forget my Belfast origins , ‘Oh Danny Boy’, or to be gender neurotic, ‘Oh Danny Person’.
David Fleming
Downham
Why not join our Macmillan Buddy Scheme?
We are looking for members of the community to join our Macmillan Buddy scheme. We need volunteers in Norfolk to provide face-to-face and telephone support to people living with cancer.
There is a particular need for more volunteers in towns and villages right across the county to help those with cancer to feel less alone and isolated.
Volunteers will be given full training and will be asked to spend time talking and listening, to help the emotional wellbeing of the people they are matched with. They may also be asked to support with practical tasks such as shopping, gardening and cleaning.
This is a wonderful opportunity for people to develop their skills, while making a huge difference to the lives of others. I have seen the incredible impact the scheme has on volunteers and those they help.
Our volunteers tell us the role is extremely rewarding and we want to be able to reach even more people who need us. I would urge anyone who wants to make a difference in their local community to get in touch - a chat goes a long way in putting the smile back on someone’s face.
The Macmillan Buddy Service matches people living with cancer with compassionate volunteers to provide emotional and practical support.
There has never been a better time to join the Macmillan Community Buddy Service so visit www.macmillan.org.uk/volunteering/macmillan-buddies for more information.
Amy Blake
Macmillan Cancer Support
