Letters to the editor

Prioritise health not assisted dying

Sir, – Following the Scottish Parliament vote on the Assisted Dying Bill, I wrote to my local MSP, Michelle Thompson, to express my deep concern about her decision to support the legislation.

Many people in this area are painfully aware of the serious and ongoing problems within NHS Forth Valley and at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. My family experienced these failures firsthand for over a year while trying to secure appropriate care for my wife. During that time we repeatedly sought the help of our elected representatives because the governance and administrative failures within the health board were having real consequences for patients.

Despite those concerns being well known, little has meaningfully changed.

In one particularly distressing moment when we were desperately seeking help from our MSP’s office, emergency services were called on us instead of the problems we were raising being addressed. At the time we were told plainly: “we can’t make them do anything.”

That statement has stayed with me. It highlights the reality many patients face when systems fail and accountability is weak.

For that reason, it is difficult to understand how legislators can support assisted dying while the systems meant to safeguard vulnerable patients are already struggling to provide safe and reliable care.

Before expanding the role of the state in assisting death, surely the priority must be ensuring our health service can properly care for people and protect them when they are most vulnerable. –

K. Larkins, (by email)

Fly tipping

Sir,- I find Falkirk Council's attitude to fly tipping very confusing. A clear bin bag appearing to hold mixed household waste was left beside my fence on a public pavement on Sunday night. Following the advice on My Falkirk website I notified the council of this via the online form. I was advised by email the matter would be investigated and awaited the removal of the item. On the same day I received my Council Tax bill for an increase of 8.5 per cent from the previous year I was notified that as the fly tipping was on private land it wasn't the responsibility of the council to remove this. I now understand why fly tipping is so prevalent in the area as public footpaths now appear to be on private land and not the responsibility of Falkirk Council, you couldn't make it up. – Yours, etc.,

G A Stewart (by email)

Reply to Mr Ballantine

Sir, – I was surprised that Mr Ballantine took the time to reference me in his latest anti independence rant,

then he goes on and on about the EU. I did not say anything about the merits of being in or out of the EU. I was merely pointing out that the people of Scotland were lied to time and time again.

Despite being lied to, the majority of the Scottish electorate still voted to stay in the EU. I am no fan of the SNP, but voting Labour is futile. When the Labour Party had an overall majority in Holyrood and they tried to improve the plight of the poorest in our society, they were regularly blocked by their Labour masters in London. Scotland is a wonderful country and like the majority of countries on this planet should be in control of its own destiny, to suggest otherwise is an insult to the people of Scotland. – Yours, etc.,

Peter Krykant (by email)