Letters: Diversion choke-up drives street’s families to despair

We are writing to express our concerns and anger at the way traffic has been re-directed along Albany Street.

No account has been taken of the narrowness of the street, in a residential area with family homes and young children.

All day HGVs, buses and cars travel along at excessive speed. Little attention appears to have been given to the needs of the residents, it has all been directed towards minimising the disruption to drivers.

The noise carries on well into the night and starts again early in the morning, causing sleep problems as the houses do not have double glazing.

We also have concern about the effect of the vibration from the traffic on the foundations of the houses, which are 200 years old and were never designed to withstand such stress. The whole re-direction process needs to be re-thought.

Veronika and Michael Holland, Edinbugh

Working hand in hand to stop pain

I CAN only concur with Melanie Hornett who said “patients in 2012 should not have to suffer pain” (News, July 30).

I am heading a health services research project in Münster, Germany, where we look into pain management practices in various health care facilities in one city. Our present survey results confirm that there is still quite a bit of work to do to ensure patients do not needlessly have to suffer pain.

The results indicate that pain assessment, particularly for patients with dementia and patients with insufficient language proficiency, is still inadequate.

Against the backdrop of demographic change, the former are a group of people who will considerably increase over the next decades. All the more reason to pay special attention to the provision of adequate pain management. Similar to the data gathered from NHS Lothian hospitals, we found that there are still many patients suffering from rest as well as movement-induced pain.

To improve pain management, better care co-ordination between physicians and nurses is needed.

Another important facet in improving pain management is the provision of counselling patients in pain management. After all, pain management is a multi-faceted occurrence, which needs an interdisciplinary approach that puts the patient at the centre of care.

Only if everyone involved works hand in hand can we actually realise what should be possible in theory; namely that no patient should have to suffer from pain needlessly.

Professor Jürgen Osterbrink, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria

Drive out these offensive views

Otto Inglis (Letters, July 31) moans that there is an agenda to “drive Christianity out of public life”.

As a secularist I would fight for Mr Inglis’ right to process his own world view with the aid of whatever metaphysics and beliefs he sees fit, but that is not enough for some Christians.

They say that to be “free” they must also own our shared institutions such as marriage, our schools, councils and adoption agencies and should be allowed to promote their homophobic attitudes with impunity. Do I want to see that driven out of public life? You bet I do.

Neil Barber, Saughtonhall Drive, Edinburgh

Panto stars .. fans are behind you!

IN reply to Joe Taylor (Letters, July 26) I say put him out to pasture rather than the pantomime star he suggests. And leave the rest of us to enjoy the wonderful panto in the King’s, especially the schoolchildren who seem to love it, and should never be denied the opportunity to witness it. They will remember the occasion all their lives!

So, well done the King’s Theatre, bravo Allan Stewart, Andy Gray, Grant Stott et al. I’ll look forward to Mother Goose 2012.

James H Duncan, Park Road, Ormiston, East Lothian

Many thanks for fundraising bash

MAY I thank family, friends, committee and staff at Danderhall Miners’ Club, Dalkeith British Legion, local businesses and others for helping me raise more than £2000 at my birthday party in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Colin Whyte, Kaimes View, Danderhall, Midlothian