Letters: Hospitals must look beyond immediate medical problem

My mother has progressing dementia and has been discharged from Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary following a severe infection. There is little doubt that medical staff provided the best 'treatment' possible within the current medical model of care.

The culture of acute hospitals is to look at 'signs and symptoms', perform physical examinations, arrange tests, diagnose and then provide treatment quickly, then discharge.

The delivery of health care within acute for dementia patients (and everyone else) should be more than tests, diagnoses, pills and treatment. It's about the impact that it has on peoples lives and those of their family and not just their health.

The outcomes that are important to people (rather than hospitals) must be the driving force.

Only when hospital practice acknowledges that people are 'more than' the medical problem presented will the quality of people's lives be positively impacted upon as well as their medical condition.

Name and address supplied

Getting wed puts families in the red

A RECENT survey of wealthy fathers who'd stumped up to give their daughters a white wedding in a church plus all the trimmings found the cost to average 20,000.

Dads who restricted proceedings to a registry office ceremony plus a knees-up had little change from 2,000. Hence the trend over the last 40 years – often bemoaned by religious commentators – for heterosexual males and females to "live in sin" with no marriage licence to excuse them in the eyes of their makers. When did you last witness a church wedding on a Saturday afternoon stroll around your neighbourhood?

Without a marriage licence no income tax-paying voter will be able to apply for the annual two months' income tax holiday promised to those who have one by David Cameron if he wins.

The income tax owed to the treasury each month by the higher paid amongst us who do have such a licence is considerable and will have to be reimbursed from those who don't.

Those of us who don't should either keep this in mind on approaching the polling booths or get down on our knees – at 2,000-20,000 a time.

Gordon Lothian, Restalrig Gardens, Edinburgh

Free pass is quietly sneaked of trains

WE HAVE just been advised by rail staff that as of 23 May senior citizens living in Queensferry and Dalmeny will no longer be able to use our free bus pass to gain subsidised travel from Dalmeny Station to Edinburgh.

Considering we have only the one bus service – a not very reliable one at that, which travels along one of the busiest routes into the city, and then only to the centre – I find this rather unfair.

By rail at least we have the option to access the Gyle Centre or Haymarket area without having to change buses as we will have to do if we lose our cheap travel by rail.

Strange I have not seen any news of this – is this to be a surprise post-election announcement?

John McCarry, Dalmeny

Take a break if you hate Fringe

ANDREW Murphy says "most Edinburgh people couldn't give a damn about the Fringe" (Interactive, 16 April). He's having a laugh ... just who has he been speaking to, has he been round for tea and biscuits at John Gibson's catching up on the good old days?

The World and Edinburgh have moved on! People from the four corners of the globe descend upon Edinburgh (bringing lots to the economy) for the Festival and enjoy everything else that our wonderful city has to offer – and guess what when they get home? Yip, they tell everyone out there what a great time they had!

Tarting up the Ross band stand for four weeks and providing entertainment that most people would welcome is surely a plus.

Something for you to ponder – why not rent out your property, take a holiday and come back when it's over – you could always take along Mr Gibson!

James J Smith, Edinburgh

[email protected]

or write to us at:

Evening News, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS