It has been a shambles

In response to the article headlined ‘Plan for Covid tests in schools is shambolic and incompetent’ (SA, December 19), Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust CEO George Croxford criticises the government for telling schools at the last minute.

The truth is, is this government’s handling of the Covid pandemic has been “shambolic and incompetent” from the start. When countries in Europe were taking action to try to stop the spread of the virus PM Boris Johnson was allowing hundreds of thousands to attend sporting events across the country. Who can forget the scenes at the Cheltenham Festival in March?

Since then we have had the fiasco of PPE, the test and trace system (which the government said would be world beating), the disaster of school exams, the inhumane restrictions of people visiting care homes, millions of people having hospital appointments, operations and treatment cancelled and the illogical restrictions placed on society in November’s lockdown. 

Last week he held a press conference that saw more backtracking, U-turns and incompetence, coming from an incompetent, inept and incapable PM. If either of us had performed has badly in our job as the PM has in his over the past few months we would of been sacked a long time ago.

This man couldn’t run a bath let alone the country, he is unfit for office.

Mark & Martin Webb

Old Town 


Not worth the money

So, having dutifully paid up my over-75s (formerly free) TV licence, how underwhelming were the various programmes on offer?

Among the seemingly endless 40, 50 or 60 year-old repeats, we were ‘treated’ (if you even bothered to watch after a few moments) to so-called comedians presenting  mind-numbing game shows concerning a wheel, a wall etc – all of which would have been an insult to the intelligence of the average 5 year old school child.

Bah humbug; give me my money back.

Rodney Wirdnam

Whilestone Way

Swindon

 

Nurses are struggling

People right across Swindon stood outside at 8pm on Thursday nights to ‘clap for carers’.

This demonstrated the strength of goodwill and support for our health and social care staff and the crucial roles they played and continue to play during the pandemic.  

But that has taken its toll. Surveyed between April 28 and May 12, 24 per cent of 4,063 nurses and midwives across the UK said they were suffering severe or extremely severe depression.

But this was a stressful job long before Covid reared its ugly head. In just six years between 2011 and 2017, at least 307 NHS nurses took their own lives. Although the 320,000 NHS nursing staff can be referred to local mental health services, research has shown that they feel they may be stigmatised if they disclose a mental illness to their employer. Post Covid it is expected we will see an increase in anxiety, stress, depression, or other psychiatric illnesses. 

NIGHT, a new charity – www.nightfornurses.co.uk – is currently fundraising to ensure that every nurse, midwife, or healthcare assistant who requests confidential help can access it. Clapping for them was moving and emotional, supporting their mental health is even more important.

Peter Arndt

The Nightingale Initiative for Global Healthcare Transformation (NIGHT)

Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital