Loss of this centre would be real tragedy

Scotland has the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis in the UK, so it is with a great sense of sadness that I read your report (11 June) on the pending closure of Leuchie House near North Berwick.

People with MS have valued this excellent facility for decades. The holiday home was established by Servite nuns in the early 1970s after a "chance meeting" with Sir Richard Cave and his wife and Sir Hew Hamilton Dalrymple, who owns Leuchie. The nuns with the help of local volunteers, managed the holiday home for people affected by MS and their carers for 25-plus years, until the MS Society Scotland took over its management in 1998.

Thousands of people from all over Scotland and parts of England have benefited from its facilities. Guests are enabled to go to the theatre, on sightseeing trips and out shopping. Many are severely affected by their MS and require specialised equipment and carers, and at home are "prisoners" within their four walls. At Leuchie, they do "normal" activities and are not treated as "disabled".

Where are all these people going to access a holiday that enables them thus? Yes there are many people who are affected by MS who continue to live a near-normal life, but what of those who are severely affected, who need two carers and specialised equipment to attend to their needs of daily living? They deserve a holiday too.

This closure will impact hugely on the already stretched NHS, where cuts are being enforced. When and where are the undervalued carers going to have a break from their 24-hour duty?

At the extraordinary AGM of the Scottish MS Society in Perth in September 2009, members in their wisdom voted for MS Society in London to manage the Scottish society. They have done us no favours – it has not taken London long to put a closure order on this exceptional jewel in the Scottish crown.

MARGARET ANN CRAWFORD

Glenorchy Road

North Berwick

The MS Society are to withdraw financial support from all four respite centres in Britain, effectively closing them down – in November 2010, in Scotland's case, and a year later for the three English centres.

Apparently, the MS Society intend to divert funds from respite into research, and while this is a noble and laudable aspiration, it neglects completely the many thousands already badly afflicted with this illness, and especially ignores the carers, who are most in need of respite.

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating illness, placing great physical and mental stress on both sufferer and carer, usually a spouse or partner. So, specialised respite care is not only desirablebut absolutely essential. Having spent many happy respites at Leuchie, stretching back more than ten years, I can attest to the unquantifiable good it does for both sufferer and carer, due primarily to the professionalism, diligence, and dedication of the staff. It would be nothing short of catastrophic if these centres were allowed to close.

DUNCAN CAMPBELL

Broomley Drive

Glasgow