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12 • Visit us @ www.ChampNews.com CMBA The Champion • Wednesday 31 July 2013LETTERS to the EditorVice–related problems are a greaterabuse of NHS than health tourismRe: the letter by Jean Lewis ‘Hospitalhas been great to us’ (Champion, July24) as someone working in an NHShospital, I am happy to hear about hernice experience at Aintree hospital.I also agree that the NHS is awonderful system and the best in theworld.However, I differ from your opinionabout who is abusing the NHS. Ihardly see instances of ‘healthtourism’ and anyway, there are legalways by which this can be checked.But what about the rampant abuse ofthe NHS by the residents of thiscountry?Visit any hospital A&E at night,especially at the weekends and whatAs a resident of Sefton, I amdisgusted at SeftonCouncil’s purported publicconsultation on the LocalPlan.I would have thought apublic consultation wouldhave meant that membersof the public were free to airtheir opinions with regardsto the Local Plan.However, it would seemthat the council think thatby offering 15 venuesdo you see? A huge proportion ofattendances are due to drink–relatedproblems.Drunk people fall off stairs or havetummy pain, call ambulances andthen draw the attention ofmedical/nursing staff towards them.They need scans and then admissionin the hospital. Drunk people getinvolved in brawls and cause injury toothers.There are long–standing problemsdue to alcohol, like liver damage andpancreas damage. These patientsneed lifelong monitoring and theyend up having repeated admissionsinto the hospital and also intensivecare unit.PICTURE of the weekModel aircraftenthusiast MatthewAtherton takes abreak from his dayjob as an EasyJetcaptain when he wasinvited to pass onsome scale modelflying tips at lastweek’s sciencethemed summerschool.Along with dadMichael – a fellowenthusiast, the pairtaught the basics offlight to studentsattending anInternationalSummer Schoolhosted bySkelmersdale’s OurLady Queen of PeaceScience College.Picture by: MartynSnapeCode1061044Not impressed by council’s idea ofpublic consultation on Local Planlasting six hours each, withbookable one–hour slots istruly a ‘publicconsultation.’Yet the same council hasmailed every resident of theFormby area withproposals over a 20mphspeed limit.Surely that sameopportunity should beafforded to the residents ofSefton and in particularthose who would beaffected by the building onthe green belt which hasmuch far–reachingramifications?It seems that SeftonCouncil has dual standardsand is just paying lip serviceto residents by offering this‘public constulation’ on adecision which would seemto have already been madein their own interests.J. Williams, details suppliedThey have costly treatments,including organ transplant. What awaste of valuable taxpayers’ moneywhich could be spent on somethinglike cancer research or treatment ofsick children.I need not say aboutsmoking–related health problemsand the drain on the healthcareresources they cause.I truly feel that vice–related healthproblems – which are preventable –are a cause for abuse of the NHS in amuch higher proportion than ‘healthtourism’ you mentioned.MV, by email, details supplied‘Proper’ shops are neededto halt Square’s declineThe recent announcement of aseries of ‘’pop–up’ shops forone of the vacant units inMaghull Square is to bewelcomed, providing lowstart–up costs for aspiringretailers.However, it also highlightsthat both the Town Council andMaghull Developments have nolong–term plan for thepermanent improvementspromised many months ago.This lack of a coherent plan,coupled with the introductionof car park charges, has clearlyresulted in the number ofvacant premises rising.www.champnews.com/pixonlineThanks for beinggreat neighboursI’d like to thank our neighbours for theirkindness for doing a coffee morning for thepensioners recently and also for looking out foreach and every one of us.They work hard to keep our community safeand it really is a close–knit community.Our thanks and love to our lovely neighboursMargaret, Maureen & the rest of the gang,Dale Acre Drive, BootleTell us what you think!editor@champnews.comThe recent closure of Hallmark‘Cards to Remember’ – afeature of the Square for morethan 20 years – shows howthose in charge of thedevelopment of MaghullSquare as a shoppingdestination have no real idea ofhow to successfully manage theestate to give shoppers whatthey want and need.So, while footfall declines,sales drop, rents increase andstores close, the phrase‘fiddling while Rome burns’seems appropriate.K. Logan, details suppliedStore’s friendlyfaces are sureto be missedI would like to say how much I will missHallmark after being in The Square for morethan 25 years.I’ve been going there from when I was a childwith my mother and I felt shocked and so sadwhen I walked to the Hallmark shop to find thedoors shut, the lights turned off and a sign inthe window saying: ‘Thank you to all ourcustomers over the years – Lewis & the girls.’I will miss Lewis who has given St Gregory’sPrimary and The Lydiate Village FestivalCommittee support throughout the years witha variety of selection of gifts for our raffles andeven donations of the story books.A big thank–you to Lewis, Annette, Jess andTanya.I will miss the friendly, smiling faces and chatsand am sure the rest of the Maghull andLydiate residents will feel the same.Siouxsie Sioux White, details suppliedStop whingeing andstart enjoying lifeRe: Anti–noise resident’s letter, ‘Silence isgolden!’ (Champion, July 24) I don’t seeyour point at all.You may not have noticed but there aremore people squeezed into residential areaswhich will naturally provide more noise tothe area.If people want to mow their lawns do theyhave to knock on neighbours’ doors first tocheck if it’s okay?You mow your lawn early on a Saturdaymorning, well I work and enjoy a peacefullie–in on Saturdays so you are no better thananybody else.People need to stop whingeing and startenjoying life. That’s my opinion.Live–and–let–live resident, Litherland, detailssuppliedWrite to the Editor atClare House, 166 Lord Street, Southport PR9 0QAEmaileditorial@champnews.comNewsdesk01704 392 400Websitewww.champnews.comGroup EditorMalcolm HindleAround 126,000† people will read thisThey could have been reading YOUR message† Publisher’s statement. Champion Group 2 titles: 69,871 copies in Crosby & Litherland, Aintree & Maghull and Bootle.Call the Champion sales team NOW on01704 392 392and put YOUR business here next week