This morning’s letters to the editor of The Courier discuss staffing at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, David Cameron’s apology for the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, and praise for columnist Jim Crumley.
Unfair remarks about Victoria Hospital staffing Sir,-I respond to your article of July 12, on the reduced services available at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, that weekend. You quote a local MSP branding NHS Fife as “totally inept” and a Fife councillor describing the situation as “stinking of mismanagement”.
These comments are uninformed, unfair and cannot be left unchallenged. The sorry truth is much less comfortable for them, even if a little more complex.
Over the last five years, leaders of my profession (I have been a consultant physician at the Victoria Hospital for over 22 years) and the Westminster politicians have allowed three things to happen with catastrophic synergy.
Numbers of doctors entering middle grade training have been reduced in order, supposedly, to match throughput with demand.
The rules around non-European professionals working in this country have been tightened so that the supply of doctors from those countries — in Asia and the Indian sub-continent — which took up many of the shorter-term non-training posts have virtually dried up. And the hours that any junior doctor can work are now tightly controlled by the European Working Time Directive — signed up to by our politicians.
The effect of any one of these would make hospital staffing and manning of rotas a bit more of a challenge. All three together have caused our problems in Kirkcaldy, and elsewhere.
We are not alone in having to make adjustments in how we look after emergency cases safely. And look after them safely we have, with the help of our much vilified NHS managers.
Over the two days I was on call that weekend I saw 45 new cases at Victoria, and for the much quieter overnight period, any additional cases were admitted by our sister hospital at Dunfermline. We have operated this kind of flexibility, in both directions, for years with resultant high level of patient care and efficient use of NHS resource.
J. A. Wilson.Capelrig,Station Road,Kingskettle.
Arrogance of the USA
Sir,-Like (Dr) John Cameron I was angered by David Cameron’s public apology for the release of Megrahi — though not surprised at the arrogant stance taken by the US in pressing for one. It is in keeping with the history of the Lockerbie trial.
Back in 2001 the UN-appointed independent observer to the trial at the Scots Court in The Hague, Professor Hans Koechler, voiced his serious concerns that senior US Justice Department officials were in the body of the court for the entire trial, apparently directing the Crown Office prosecution staff.
I don’t know all of the facts surrounding the Lockerbie Trial, but many informed observers and bereaved relatives, such as Dr Jim Swire, share John Cameron’s view that Scotland — either knowingly or unwittingly — took part in a political fix that suited the interests of the US/UK at that time.
The long delays to Megrahi’s last appeal and the refusal by the Crown Office to disclose evidence hidden by Whitehall Public Immunity Certificates harmed Scotland’s reputation for justice.
But if our legal system was tarnished by Lockerbie there is one redeeming aspect of the sorry affair and that is the fact that at long last one Scots lawyer, MSP Christine Grahame, has had the courage to voice her concerns that, “there remains legitimate concern about how this case was investigated and prosecuted”. She also points out that the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission (SCCRC) found there was serious doubt as to the safety of Megrahi’s conviction, something Salmond, McAskill, and Angiolini have studiously avoided mentioning.
Mrs Grahame is also calling for the USA to take part in a comprehensive international inquiry into all of the circumstances surrounding the Lockerbie trial affair (not just the bits they don’t like such as Megrahi’s release).
Good for her. She typifies the best qualities of our nation: independent and brave; telling it like it is, without fear of our powerful neighbour across the pond, or of her bosses at Holyrood. Sadly, I fear that her doubts about Megrahi’s trial and conviction, like those of the UN Observer and the SCCRC, will not be taken seriously by the powers that be.
Tom Minogue.94 Victoria Terrace,Dunfermline.
No business making apology
Sir,-Congratulations to Dr John Cameron for his letter, Why the apology? published July 20. As well as Megrahi’s conviction being unsafe due to the reasons which the letter so admirably stated, the Prime Minister had no business to apologise for a decision that was made by Scotland’s chief law officer.
It is about time that David Cameron, BBC’s Gavin Esler, and those raucous American politicians read the Treaty of the Act of Union between England and Scotland 1707.
This historic document holds safe the complete independence of Scotland’s legal system of Roman Law from any English interference three hundred years before the present Holyrood Parliament opened.
Frank D. Bowles.37 Albany Terrace,Dundee.
A beacon of decency
Sir,-I invariably read the Jim Crumley column not always in full agreement, but it’s ever worth a read.
His article today (July 20), however, in praise of “The Old Lady” and the broad ethics of golf in general was to me, great writing; said it all. Golf remains virtually unique, certainly in professional sport, as a beacon of sheer decency.
“Sportsmanship” is sadly lacking in much of what passes as sport these days and golf should be recognised as an honourable exception. Mr Crumley did just that. Thank you to him.
Ron Paterson.Torwood,Shawfield lane,Rosemount,Blairgowrie.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.