DESPITE a Conservative manifesto pledge to put an end to “health tourism” it is still going on and costing UK taxpayers millions of pounds which could be used for the benefit of UK residents.

King’s College and St Bart’s hospitals alone are due £40 million. What is due nationwide? Why have the health bosses not been sacked? Since the patients have not paid, their countries should, and if they refuse, stop their foreign aid and imports. NHS hospitals should only do emergency treatment but get credit card details. The UK NHS is not the World NHS.

Clark Cross - Linlithgow

AS the US Centre for Disease Control announces a do-not-travel instruction to countries like Ireland and Greece, it is a potential disaster that Nicola Sturgeon has opened up travel to Scotland to the whole of the EU and the USA.

On top of that Scotland’s schools re-open in two weeks with unvaccinated kids, then even worse the university campuses re-open with thousands of students from around the world descending on our cities. Have we learned nothing from the deadly second wave last autumn? I beg the SNP to ignore the lobbying of Devi Sridhar and Edinburgh University and make all learning online until this pandemic is over.

David Watson - Leith

I NOTE the leader of the council saying in an interview about COP26 saying the council has to work on the city’s imperfections and challenges. Why don’t they start with the simple things like cutting the grass properly?

I don’t see any long grass at George Square, yet the parks’ grass edges and all open spaces need cut. You have factors who are paid and offer a better service of grass cutting. Citizens pay council tax and get a poorer service.

Name and address supplied

MORE than one million people are expected to be living with dementia by 2025, yet we have a system that it seems to me is increasingly unfit for purpose. A lack of community support means families often travel miles to access support services.

As the project lead and admiral nurse at Dementia UK for the Closer To Home project, I am pleased that we can improve the support families across the UK have. Our Closer To Home clinics provide access to dementia specialist nurses, at a time that suits families.

The project aims to increase awareness of dementia specialist nurses, with a view to create more permanent services to give families with dementia the confidence and security they need. For any families in the area, who would like to get in contact with a dementia specialist nurse, please book a clinic appointment through tinyurl.com/eh4m55tm

Helen Green