Surely prime responsibility lies with the CEO of NHS Scotland, whose title also includes Director General of Health and Social Care, along with her counterparts in the regional bodies and their hospitals. I imagine few could name her – Caroline Lamb, a chartered accountant.

That is akin to the Covid lockdown when invariably “the government” and Matt Hancock were blamed for whatever went wrong, but never the CEO of Public Health England or NHS Scotland or, for example, the head of NHS Procurement regarding the initial lack of PPE and subsequent ordering mishaps.

I am not normally one to defend ministers, but surely “debit where debit is due” should also apply – as Ms Lamb might have agreed in a previous role!

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. is under pressure over A&E waiting times . (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

John Birkett, St Andrews, Fife

People matter

In her statement to the Scottish Police Authority, Chief Constable Jo Farrell said that the service was seeking voluntary redundancies from civilian staff, but “not from the control centres because they were areas of high risk and we need those resources” (Scotsman, 31 January).

What was wrong with saying “we need those people”? Referring to people as resources is demeaning. It’s disrespectful and counterproductive.

If organisations believe people are their greatest asset, then treat them like they are their greatest asset.

Treating them well without indulging them, will produce a motivated, productive organisation and better outcomes, than treating them like resources to be used or discarded at will.

Brian Barbour, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Taking a stand

Andrew Turnbull must be very much to the left politically if he thinks that the current Government is “increasingly right wing” (Letters, 30 January). If anything, it is virtue-signalling to the liberal left and losing its voter base thereby.

Moreover, he seems to regard the actions we are taking in the Red Sea as “pretending to be a super-power”. In fact, this is a part of the world in which Britain is the former colonial power and we are still seen there as a major player, as we are. We have a naval base in the Gulf, in Bahrain, one of the nations to which we gave independence in my lifetime, and Aden only became independent in 1967.

The area is noted for its instability and the Iranians are attempting to spread their evil influence throughout the region. Their thuggish allies, the Houthis, are attacking international shipping, regardless of their flag, or ownership of the vessels, let alone their cargo. One cargo hit last week was Russian oil, for example. No one is immune.

Someone must stand up for freedom of movement and of trade, even if Mr Turnbull would rather that we left it to America. The restriction on free movement of goods the Houthis are causing will be costs we will all have to bear unless we stand up to them.

If Trump gets in, then it will come down to us anyway. We cannot allow Iran to use the Gazan mess as an excuse to attack the West, because that is all it is. If not Gaza, then they will fabricate some other cause.

Peter Hopkins, Edinburgh

Magical thinking

I am appalled by the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron’s magical thinking concerning Israel and the Palestinians. There are fundamental reasons why it is at present impossible to negotiate peace between the parties, and why we should not recognise a Palestinian state at this time. Hamas and other Islamist groups, which seek the destruction of Israel and the thorough genocide of its Jewish citizens, still enjoys substantial, probably majority support amongst the Palestinian population. The priority for these groups is the destruction of Israel, not the consolation prize of a Palestinian state.

The Iranian regime continues to finance, arm and organise these groups. Until there is regime change in Tehran, the terror organisations will always have sponsorship and strategic depth.

If we want peace in the Middle East and a viable future for the Palestinians the priority must be to undermine the Iranian regime and counter its actions through out the region and beyond. Also, we must start to ensure that in future Western aid is not diverted to funding the terrorists.

Otto Inglis, Crossgates, Fife

Green honesty

Your editorial “UK must rearm amid warnings of all-out war” was timely in view of the volatile state of the world which has 32 ongoing conflicts (30 January).

It is disappointing, however, that The Scotsman failed to point out the millions of tons of greenhouse gases that are created by wars and the manufacture of weapons and the rebuilding of the infrastructure. Then there is the devastation created by Mother Nature and the greenhouse gases created in rebuilding.

Those who have been told they must go green to save the planet must wonder if eating less meat, fitting an expensive heat pump, shutting off their gas supply, enduring the pain of public transport, no longer taking foreign holidays, and re-mortgaging their homes to buy an electric car was worth all the pain.

Meanwhile most of the world is ignoring their climate promises and are rapidly increasing their use of fossil fuels to drive their economies.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Better together

It is indeed a great relief for Scotland, and most of its people, that we have witnessed the demise of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister. Her single-minded attitude to the regional governance of Scotland resulted in disastrous policies in most aspects of matters devolved from Westminster.

And just how much worse would the situation have become had she, or her co-zealots, ever aspired to create an independent Scotland?

We Scots would have found ourselves in an impoverished state – with an economy comparing closely to some of Europe’s weakest countries. Is that what we want for our children, or our children’s children?

We Scots are, and have been for centuries, a proud race which has greatly contributed to global development whether that entailed economic, religious or structural matters.

But in this modern age, when the UK is no longer a dominant economic or military force, it is important that the nations of these islands continue to form a pact of “togetherness”. Independence as a cause has no place in the UK in today’s world.

Robert IG Scott, Ceres, F ife

The dream endures

John McClellan is not alone amongst the mainstream media in making the fatal error of equating Nicola Stirgeon with independence, saying “this may be the day the dream dies” (Scotsman, 30 January).

Anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to public opinion, if not to social media, letters to the editor, protests, petitions and demonstrations would know that in fact a huge number of people think that Sturgeon did not prioritise independence, thus the flawed application for a Section 30 order. And polls indicate that support for independence is over 50 per cent, much more than for the SNP.

Sturgeon may have stalled the dream, but she could not kill it.

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Edinburgh

Forbes impresses

Having watched the confident and palpably truthful Kate Forbes answering questions at the Covid Inquiry, once again I find it beyond comprehension that this young woman – whose social views align with the majority of Scots of every political shade infinitely more than they do with the present First Minister – was rejected by the SNP members, who chose Humza Yousaf as their leader in preference.

Her husband’s alleged political allegiance is of no consequence whatsoever – except to the extremists in her party. There is a distinct impression from what we have heard and seen that Ms Forbes was kept out of the SNP’s inner circle because of her intrinsic honesty.

Not that I am complaining about her rejection. I am enjoying watching the SNP flounder from crisis to crisis and approach an electoral Armageddon.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Square one

Rishi Sunak is forever banging on about his “plan”, whatever that is, while telling us a Labour government will take us back to “square one”.

Square one is presumably when his party took over from Labour. in 2010. How were things back at square one? The NHS doing well, low waiting lists. No striking doctors. National debt low. Inflation two per cent. No boat people. Tax allowances rising. No striking rail workers. No striking teachers. Six-days-a-week post not under threat. Seamless trade and travel throughout Europe. Obama President.

Let's go back to square one.

Barry Tighe, Woodford Green, Waltham Forest

Get a move on

In your article about the proposed route closures in the latest traffic blueprint for Edinburgh (30 January), transport and environment committee convener Scott Arthur says: “What we’re talking about now is moving much faster.” I assume he wasn’t talking about the traffic.

John Wann, Edinburgh

Readers' letters: Is Matheson really to blame for A&E waiting times?

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