Unhealthy trend

Published on 21/02/2013 20:11

The new evidence of widespread manipulation of NHS waiting times (your report, 21 February) is scandalous and it will be very difficult for the public to believe any information emanating from the boards or the Scottish Government on health issues.

How many people suffered unnecessary pain or even died because they were marked down erroneously as “socially unavailable” by the hospitals that were charged with looking after their health but tried to meet government targets instead?

The whole system reeks of ­dishonesty and deceit and it’s criminal that the Scottish Government accepted the figures at face value and did not try to establish if they were true or not.

Once again it appears that the “independence” issue has 
deflected the SNP government’s attention away from other 
important issues.

Bob MacDougall

Kippen

Stirlingshire

Following on from other recent scandals including the shortage of nurses, the lack of vital nursing skills and the long-term closure of paediatric wards, the news item, “NHS waiting list scandal puts public trust at risk”, highlights a poor situation in the management of the Scottish NHS that has been going on for some time under the SNP.

When the Nationalists were in opposition, and when everything was the fault of somebody else, we could always count on Nicola Sturgeon to issue strident calls for the resignation of the health secretary if and when such crises occurred. But lately Ms Sturgeon seems to have lost her voice. I wonder why.

Alex Gallagher

Phillips Avenue

Largs