Readers' Best Comments

Our story about dementia patients being left to rot in the Royal Victoria Hospital struck a chord with a lot of people.

I worked in the Royal Victoria for a few months as a clinical support worker and this case is not unusual, more like the norm. When I left I promised myself I would never let my mother or anyone I know end up in the place. The majority of the patients were vulnerable and lovely, some staff kind and caring, many were not!

Jackmeister

My grandad suffers from Alzheimer's and had attended ward one to give my nana respite. I totally agree with Mr Moss's points. Some people are stretched and do a great job. Unfortunately you also have the staff who don't give a damn and see the patients like something they have scrapped off the bottom of their shoes.

Leither1875

My late mother stayed in the Royal Victoria for a few weeks in 2007 and the standard of care was appalling. She was terminally ill with cancer and it was heartbreaking to see her in there. She developed a wound on her hand due to the nurses not removing the tubigrip, it cut into her hand. She wasn't washed or helped to wash, the dirt under her fingernails was plain to see. It's saddening to see that the hospital hasn't improved. The idea that it was to close and be turned into flats pleased me , as I thought no other relatives or in-patients would have to suffer at its hands.

Leithster, Edinburgh

My mother was in Royal Victoria in 2002/3 and my husband's mother was in there previous to that. In both cases we were unhappy with the care given to them. There was not a caring atmosphere and one staff nurse had a positively (if that is the right word) condescending attitude to the visiting relatives. I am sure there were some dedicated and caring members of staff but they were not in evidence at that time. There was no check on whether a patient was eating enough and one parent had been reduce to skin and bone because, after her stroke, she would not eat. The food was merely taken away.

The Harder they Fall, Within caring distance

Sobering and serious stuff but you were back to your usual irreverent posts in response to our story about foxes digging up graves in a city cemetery. Apparently it is illegal to poison or snare the red-coated critters.

Not illegal to shoot them.

malcyh,

And here's another solution:

The easiest and most effective way to keep foxes away is . . . . human pee! Works in my garden anyway – I just get hubby to fill an old wine bottle occasionally and then sprinkle it about. Got the idea from a Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall programme.

Lady of Shallot

Lady of Shallot, remind me not to smell the flowers in your garden! Besides, the foxes are in a cemetery. Not sure if after digging up someone's granny, then chewing the bones for a while, they'll really be too bothered by the smell of human urine? Sheesh.

korndog, reality

Did the fox have a spade? That's a pretty square hole. Maybe they could get them to work on the tram lines, get the job done in half the time.

dlindsay

Ah, cunning. Cunning like a fox.