Letters

St Thomas’ hospital is the wrong site for Mary Seacole statue
Your news story, 'Council gives go-ahead for Seacole statue' ( May 2 ), is correct in declaring that planning permission for a memorial statue for Mary Seacole has been granted. But the plans have been approved by Lambeth Council's planning committee, rather than the council as a whole.

Concentrate on basic nursing care before extended skills
I read with interest Nichola McCarthy's letter ( May 2 ). She says that all nursing students should be taught electrocardiogram (ECG) recording, cannulation, venepuncture and IV administration skills.

Are we medicalising normal conditions such as anxiety?
The learning zone article ( May 2 ) on the assessment and treatment of patients experiencing anxiety was informative and wide-ranging. It is an excellent, well-referenced resource.

High cost of fitness to practise hearings should be scrutinised
As someone who pays fees to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), I read with interest about the backlog of fitness to practise hearings and the time it takes to deal with cases ( analysis April 18 ).

Student who supported grieving parents is a credit to nursing
My attention was drawn to the Starting Out article, ' Sitting in silence with grieving parents gave them support ' (reflections May 9).

The end of life care my mother received was outstanding
The care of older people in the UK has long been under-resourced and underfunded. The NHS provides excellent acute care and good paediatric services, for example, but falls down in its care of older people.

Staff caring for my mother came across as cold and uncaring
My mother was admitted to hospital at the beginning of the year and it was evident from the outset that some staff on the wards would have benefited from reminders about the core values of your Care campaign .

Seems impractical to pay people to become healthier
Four readers panellists were asked if financial incentives would motivate people to adopt healthy behaviours (reflections May 2).

Nightingale’s emphasis on patient observation provides valuable lessons
Sue Norman, chair of the Florence Nightingale Museum's board of trustees, says Miss Nightingale's nursing philosophy is 'as relevant today as when she devised it more than 150 years ago' ( careers May 9 ).

We need the eyes and ears of everyone to stamp out abuse
Dementia services training officer Pauline Cameron makes some pertinent points in response to the recent BBC Panorama programme, Undercover Elderly Care ( letters May 2 ).