'˜MK Hospital saved my life' and '˜Idiots blocking charging points' this week's letters to the Milton Keynes Citizen

A round up of this week's letters to the Milton Keynes Citizen from our readers.
Milton Keynes HospitalMilton Keynes Hospital
Milton Keynes Hospital

MK Hospital saved my life

I just want to thank all the staff from 999, the paramedics, A&E, resuss, and wards 1 and 16 for their time and dedication in saving my life.

Whilst being pushed on the hospital bed through A&E the crowds were overwhelming as people couldn’t move. It was stifling with sick and injured people sitting on beds and sharing seats all through the main entrance to the exits.

Electric car charging point in Milton KeynesElectric car charging point in Milton Keynes
Electric car charging point in Milton Keynes

Whilst in ward 1 and ward 16 I saw how hectic it was for the doctors and nurses etc who were rushed off their feet trying to find beds for critical patients day and night, which was a total nightmare. I saw them working double shifts also doing other job roles that they shouldn’t be doing. They were very hands on and caring with patients, made us feel comfortable, and still managed to put on a smile even though you could see they looked exhausted.

I spent one week in hospital although the doctors wanted me to stay in longer but I decided to give up my bed for someone else as I had support at home.

The doctors and nurses checked me over thoroughly to make sure I was safe enough to go home and made cardiac follow ups.

This is the 2nd time my life has been saved by Milton Keynes hospital. In 2014 I fell in to a coma.

Electric car charging point in Milton KeynesElectric car charging point in Milton Keynes
Electric car charging point in Milton Keynes

In 2015/2016 I attended NHS meetings with a friend who is a nurse as I wanted to know more about them privatizing the NHS. I was quickly given a number to contact the hospital directors.

I called them and they gave me an appointment to discuss my views on the hospital and the fact that the elderly, maternity and young and vulnerable needed more nurses and doctors to help them as most of the staff were leaving and the hospital had come under more pressure.

This matter is worse than ever at the moment as staff are being overworked and not being paid enough for the hard work that they do and do not get enough credit for saving our lives! So a massive thank you to all NHS staff for saving many lives in such extreme conditions.

Maggie Mccombes

by email

They blocked charging point

Trying to charge a car in MK is very difficult when idiots are allowed to do this (see picture above)!

One is a petrol car and the other is a hybrid not on charge.

Both are in front of the only functioning charging points in The Hub.

Really clever... Not!

Jacqui Newman

by email

Give binmen a really big smile

I have been meaning to write to you for some time about what I think is the fantastic job done by our refuse teams for recyclables and non-recyclables. They work in all weathers, often in dirty, difficult conditions, such as when cars are parked on both sides of the road in narrow streets, and rubbish not carefully/appropriately packed or put out too early so that animals have burst the sacks open, etc.

I spent Christmas and New Year on the Isle of Bute, where I was born, with my very frail 92-year old mother. The carers and refuse collectors are very good to my mum, but the recyclables are collected once a fortnight and the non-recyclables ONLY ONCE EVERY THREE WEEKS!

I believe we are very blessed in MK, Newport Pagnell and surrounding areas to still have weekly collections.

So come on, folks, give your refuse teams a smile and a thank you when you see them working so hard to keep your streets clean.

Carolynne Icke

by email

Wood is better for Bob’s world

So Bob French (Citizen Letters, January 11) is getting excited about wood burning stoves.

He chooses however to offer no alternatives for keeping us warm. It is obvious that if we burn carbon inefficiently or unintelligently, there will be consequences, be the fuel liquid, solid, or gas.

The important difference is that natural wood when burned is the only one which doesn’t add significantly to global warming.

Reg Dixon

Consultant, niftylift, Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes

Leavers don’t own patriotism

Sean Spillane points out that 17 million voted Leave.

Well 17 million voted for Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party in the 1933 German federal election and we all know how that turned out.

By a strange inversion the German nation has become the conscience of Europe (witness its principled and compassionate stance on refugees) while Britain is becoming a breeding ground for nationalism and xenophobia.

Finally, Brexiters do not have a monopoly on patriotism. “My country right or wrong” is not patriotism.

A true patriot jealously protects his country’s honour from those who would bring it into disrepute.

Patrick Kenny

Willen Park, Milton Keynes

Only misery under Tories

The first week in the new year was anything but happy for thousands of patients suffering at the hands of the NHS unable to cope with demand.

The Government has resorted for the first time to wholesale cancellation of over 50,000 operations and hospital appointments in England. This means patients who have suffered pain for months will have to suffer longer.

The PM and the Health Secretary have both apologised for this but that is cold comfort for those patients. Prioritising their treatment after the winter season will push other patients to the back of the queue adding further distress and delay.

Patients are faced with the reality of corridor management in A and E due to a lack of beds and space,

There were distressing scenes of 17,000 acutely ill people stuck in ambulances outside emergency departments.

That distress is not confined to the patients . It also applies to doctors, nurses and other health staff who are unable to carry out their professional duties due to a lack of resources, something beyond their control.

This shameful situation was entirely predictable. The government was warned last summer by health professionals that the NHS was not prepared for a surge in demand.

The service does not have enough doctors, hospital beds or community facilities to cope with a growing older population. Other leading EU countries spend £10 billion more annually than the UK on health.

If that gap was plugged another 35,000 extra beds or 10,000 GPs could be provided.The funding announced in the Budget fell far short of requirements.

This Conservative Government is in denial, amply illustrated by Theresa May’s astonishing statement that our NHS was better prepared than ever for this winter. Where does she live?

This is the worst NHS crisis since Bevan created it in 1948. We have, however seen bad times before, particularly in the 1990s under previous Conservative administrations.

Things changed dramatically however when a Labour Government decided to match the European average for health funding. This one political intervention produced a breathtaking reduction in waiting times for emergency and non emergencies alike. In 2010 when the Cameron administration took office, public satisfaction in the NHS was at an all time high.

The country needs a similar intervention but there is no prospect of that under this Conservative administration. Expect continued suffering.

Steve Mitchell

Green Farm Road
Newport Pagnell

Dry gin...uary

I do hope all the fitness freaks in Citizen territory are enjoying the new year. Running in the cold, sweating in the gyms, and this ridiculous Dry January thing.

I much prefer the kind of month as advertised by a pub sign... Dry January means, dry gin, dry wine, and dry cider.

Roll on February, so we can all get back to our unhealthy but happy selves.

Name supplied

by email