I READ with interest the report on the uptake of self-directed support, an innovative approach to care delivery by elderly people (“Thousands of pensioners denied choice over their care”, The Herald, July 20). In the article the spokesperson for Scottish Care suggests that social workers are not giving their clients the choice to buy their own care from whomsoever they wish, and implies this is encouraged by their employers as a way to retain resources within the public sector. Your leader comment (“Government must enforce law on social care policy”, The Herald, July 20) suggests it is an unwritten policy within many councils.

What both the article and leader opinion failed to identify is that if this is the case, and evidence for it could be produced, it would breach the codes of practice for both social workers and their employers. If that is what is happening the appropriate body to deal with this would be the Scottish Social Services Council, the employer and employee regulator for that profession.

I would have hoped Scottish Care had known that and addressed the issue in an appropriate manner rather than, however inadvertently, questioning the integrity of hard-pressed social workers and suggesting they deliberately breach their own code of practice. That is unhelpful and would give a very wrong impression to your readers of the difficult task social workers face when trying to meet the care needs of vulnerable older people.

Bryan Healy,

92 Killoch Drive, Glasgow.

I WAS at a public meeting in Helensburgh earlier this month. On a cold Tuesday night four or five hundred, mainly elderly, concerned people turned out to protest at the continuing disaster that is the Vale of Leven Hospital (The Vale). There is great concern at the increasing need for people in this area to have to travel to the other side of Paisley for anything other than an ambulance job. This journey is always difficult but without a car it is often impossible.

Ten years ago, after much mismanagement and underfunding the Argyll & Clyde Health Board was abolished by the Labour and Liberal Democrat Government of the time. It was divided between Highland Health Board and Greater Glasgow Health Board (GGHB) with Argyll & Bute going to Highland and the rest going to GGHB. As an administrative fix the Highland board, based in Inverness, set up a small funding organisation to look after Argyll & Bute but mandated that all health care for the area was to be delivered by GGHB.

When the SNP Scottish Government was elected a review was commissioned because of concerns about health care in both West Dunbartonshire and Argyll & Bute; in particular The Vale was seen to be at risk due to centralisation within Glasgow. This review resulted in an agreement between the Scottish Government and GGHB, enshrined in the document Vision for the Vale. This document contains promises that GGHB would maintain and seek to improve the services provided at The Vale for the people living within its catchment area.

Over the years The Vale has become a political football. Our MSP Jackie Baillie berates the SNP Government as each new service cut leaks out. The Scottish Government blames the health board, quoting the Vision for the Vale. Despite the agreement GGHB has salami-sliced services at The Vale to the extent that it is on the brink of being reduced to only an outpatient clinic staffed by doctors based at, and working from, the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. Maternity is under threat, I hear that haematology has lost its respected consultant, without replacement, and now the GP-staffed out-of-hours service is planned to be decimated.

GGHB has no direct responsibility to look after Argyll & Bute and is centralising services within the Glasgow area. The SNP Government is lacking in courage to deal properly with the situation. It is an ugly can of worms and whatever action it takes will produce a fusillade of “SNP bad” headlines. I have written to the Health Secretary suggesting that the health board organisation needs to be revisited but have only had a reply referring me to GGHB by one of the functionaries.

It is the Scottish Government’s responsibility to fix the problem by either reorganising areas of responsibility or reinstating a new Argyll & Clyde Health Board.

DS Blackwood,

1 Douglas Drive East, Helensburgh.