I read the letter from Greater Glasgow Health Board which I suspect you will publish. It is an interesting letter but It is perhaps the things that are not said the make me wonder.

There is no commitment to increase services or reinstate the many previous salami sliced cuts to service. There are no promises to maintain existing services into the future

The Scottish government has decreed that the Vale will remain open but GGHB control the day to day decisions on what services are properly supported and those that are allowed to wither through lack of it.

If appointments to the Vale are made attractive enough they will be filled. If word gets about that there is a vacancy but that it might be on a shoogly nail or that it is a dead end job then it comes as no surprise that these vacancies are hard to fill.

There are numerous vacant posts at the Vale. I think that gives a better guide to intentions than the letter from GGHB.

Dougie Blackwood

Via email

Living in Edward Drive I regularly see dogs taking their pets out for a walk.

These pets commonly known as humans have become highly trained to the point where their canine masters openly evacuate their bowels in the street confident in the knowledge the human pets will package the excreted material in a polythene container and carry it home. Of course sometimes things go wrong hence today I found one of these packages neatly sitting on top of my garden wall. I have left it in situ for pet collection.

Tommy Watt

Helensburgh

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Chairman, Mr John Brown, in his recent letter to you, attempts to reassure us that the, “Vale of Leven Hospital does have a long-term future and will continue to play an important part in the delivery of healthcare.”

Great, so what type of future?

Let us look at the reality behind one of his claims – the GP out of hours service.

He is aware that there have been recent temporary closures – a lot of work is going on – and they will be reporting back in May.

He then goes on to say: “In the meantime, I can reassure you that everything possible is being done to protect the continuity of the GP out-of-hours service.”

What he fails to say is that the local Health and Social Care Partnership recently received an update on the NHSGGC-wide Review of Out of Hours GP Services which clearly spells out the problems they face and their vision for the future of the service.

That vision seems to suggest that the best we can expect is a GP OOH service at weekends, between 6pm and midnight.

The rest of the time the service would operate from the RAH.

One option being considered is for just three sites: South Glasgow, North Glasgow and the RAH.

Conveniently for the Labour/SNP led Health and Social Care Partnership, no decision will be made before the next meeting on May 31.

The policy of death by a thousand cuts continues.

George Drummond,

Scottish Lib Dem Candidate,

Leven Ward

IN a few short weeks Scotland will be going to the polls to choose the people who will represent us at our local councils.

More than any other in living memory, this election will impact the health and wellbeing of our communities as this is the first since the integration of health and social care in April 2016. Elected councillors, who are then nominated to Integrated Joint Boards, will be given the power to influence our health and social care system and make vital decisions that will affect us all.

One in four of us are living with or at increased risk of diabetes.

The diabetes community is Scotland’s largest constituency which is why it’s vital that local election candidates understand the wide-reaching impact of the condition.

People should be supported in managing their diabetes well to help avoid complications which may result in hospitalisation, disability and even premature death.

Diabetes Scotland is reaching out to candidates across Scotland to raise awareness and understanding of diabetes.

New councillors must understand that diabetes not only affects the individual and their family but also our NHS Scotland and the wider economy.

We must prioritise the care and support of people living with all types of diabetes and look at how to introduce new, more effective ways to prevent the rise of Type 2 diabetes.

We’re calling on people affected by diabetes across Scotland to contact their local candidates and ask them if they will #Stand4Diabetes. Before May 4, we have to know if our candidates are committed to ensuring that people living with the condition are supported to live health, happy lives.

If you would like to get involved in Diabetes Scotland campaigns, please get in touch via email Gavin.Thomson@diabetes.org.uk or phone 0141 245 6380.

Gavin Thomson,

Policy and campaigns manager,

Diabetes Scotland

AN election looms, and there is a new raft of Vale Hospital lies from Jackie Baillie.

Haematology services are not under threat of being cut, the pharmacy is not going to be closed.

The birthing unit is costing £250,000 per year, and so far in 2017 only three babies have been born there.

Mothers are choosing to have their babies in Glasgow, as it is statistically the safest option for them. Surely Jackie, even with your “shaky maths”, you can see that this is not money well spent. All the other maternity services, however, are well-used and are staying.

On top of her lies, now Jackie Baillie has insulted all the staff at the hospital more blatantly than ever.

She wrote in an article in last week’s Advertiser that people in our care are being treated like “second class patients”.

It seems that she will stick the knife into anyone when votes are at stake, including the Labour health board and even the very staff she claims to be a “strong voice” for. Enough, Ms Baillie, for pity’s sake.

We need to value the Vale, not save it, because it isn’t closing.

Cathy Bell,

via email

UNDER the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 citizens and visitors have the right to access most land in Scotland for the purposes of recreation.

This right is widely advertised as a reason to visit Scotland. If a citizen is simply walking across land (for example farm land, or the inner route at Ardmore) then legally they must be allowed to do so.

As well as rights there are certain provisions requiring citizens to act responsibly. Citizens do not have the right to walk in people’s gardens, or across land that one would normally pay to access (for example, some National Trust for Scotland properties). They should also ensure that dogs are kept under control.

Unfortunately, in practice, land access is extremely difficult. I’ve been aggressively confronted in contravention of the law by land owners in this area on three separate properties. I’ve also witnessed signs incorrectly asserting ‘no right of access’. In fact, in the last year or so, everywhere I have tried to move from a popular walking route to cross land covered by the access rights described in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 I have been verbally abused by land owners and sometimes threatened. I am able to hold my own (much as the experience is stressful), but I am certain that many other people would be put off exercising their rights after such encounters. If Scottish access law is to mean anything in the Lowlands it must be enforced, and land owners and land managers must be regularly reminded of their duties.

It is the responsibility of the council to uphold access rights:

To ensure land owners and land managers understand the rights of citizens

To take action to remove impediments to access (e.g. signs, deliberate obstructions, etc)

And to take action to against land owners who try to prevent people from enjoying their access rights

As far as I can tell, there has been no attempt to remind land owners and land managers of their legal duties under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 since it was first introduced.

There is no strategy to ensure land owners, land managers or citizens are regularly reminded of their rights and responsibilities.

In addition, the council’s access team, responsible for an enormous land area, has been cut from three and a half staff to one in the last year or so.

I am considering who to vote for in the coming elections and would therefore be grateful if you would write to me, preferably by email, to let me know your position on the following points.

1. Will you ensure the Council understands that land access is a priority for you?

2. What will you do to ensure the Council improves land access information and enforcement in this area?

3. Will you fight to retain the one remaining access officer, and to increase the size of the access team?

4. How will you ensure all land owners and land managers in Helensburgh and Lomond South are reminded of their rights and responsibilities under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003?

Finlo Costain,

via email

No one can have missed the developing shambles that is the UK government party’s behaviour in trying to negotiate Brexit since triggering Article 50.

First we had the letter from Theresa May to the EU linking trade deals with sharing security information.

Are we seriously in a state that would now trade human safety to save money on tariffs!

Then we had the former Conservative leader Michael Howard raising the prospect of war with “another Spanish speaking country” over Gibraltar when no military or expansionist threats had even been made by Spain.

Whilst those two examples were bad enough, of equal concern to the business community in Scotland would be the performance of the Secretary of State for Brexit, David Davis, at a committee of MPs on March 15.

Asked if a new economic assessment had been made by the UK government Mr Davis replied: “Under my time, no...You don’t need a piece of paper with numbers on it to have an economic assessment.”

Imagine the response if a business person went to their bank manager asking for a loan on that basis.

But his performance also got worse.

He didn’t know the implications of leaving with no deal on the transfer of personal data, which is needed for the tech industry.

He “assumed” the ‘Open Skies’ agreement – which has reduced airfares across the EU will be lost.

And then he confirmed financial services will probably lose ‘passporting rights’ to trade in the EU: “I would expect that to be the case, that’s an area of uncertainty.”

Again, would any business person pass muster for a loan from their bank if they approached them with such a business plan?

The UK faces going back 60 years in time by falling out of not only the European single market but every existing and pending trade agreements the EU has ever signed; a customer base of over 1 billion people.

Yet the UK Conservative government’s approach to diplomatic negotiations appears to be a mixture of arrogance, ignorance, incompetence and hubris.

There is a chance this May to show the UK government that its behaviour is unacceptable.

Any votes the Conservatives get in the approaching local elections will only encourage this behaviour.

They need sent a message to shake them back into reality.

James MacDonald

Oban