Qualified staff for a 'twizzle stick' test

I’m sure that there must be a very good reason why a qualified Staff Nurse has been assigned to check the name, date of birth and first line of an address to a ‘soon to be patient’ when attending the Covid-19 testing centre at the GWH.

Entering the car park facility, which incidentally is by appointment only, there is a charming and polite person in a yellow hi viz jacket waiting to greet you and point out the person who will check your details (the qualified Staff Nurse) and direct you to the testing area.

The whole process incidentally takes no time at all, is a little uncomfortable, but was made eminently bearable by the good natured cheerfulness of the two nurses designated to stick a ‘twizzle stick’ up a nostril and in your mouth.

I understand the need for the testing process, after all no one wants to undergo surgery if infected with Covid-19, but is the best use of a highly trained individual?

Des Morgan

Caraway Drive

Swindon

Civilised society's duty is to help refugees

Chris Gleed in his jingoistic (state of Hope & Glory ) S.A. September 5, asks why refugees make perilous boat journeys to get to the UK?

Many of those refugees he refers to begin a new life here come from Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria, countries that have over the years had close ties to the UK or countries in recent years have been invaded and bombed by the UK and its allies.

Why should the UK walk away from its duties to these people Mr Gleed?

You say in your letter you don't want to live anywhere else. That's your choice. I suspect many of the refugees you refer to don't want to live anywhere else either, other than their home country.

Unfortunately war and the devastation and mayhem that war brings gives them no choice to make perilous journeys in the hope they will find peace and safety in some far away land.

Only a small minority of refugees around the world choose to start a new life in the UK.

Surely Mr. Gleed it's the duty of a civilised and humane society to give these people a new start in life isn't it ?

Martin Webb

Old Town

Are we heading for another crash?

The Stock Market in the USA has risen far too high. Share prices in the USA have become detached from what is actually happening in the economy.

There is only one possible result and that is a correction in which the Stock Market falls. When this correction eventually happens it is bound to affect share prices in Britain.

What is not certain is when this will happen. The USA Federal Reserve have set interest rates too low so investors have no incentive to keep money in their bank accounts, so any spare money that people have is going into shares.

The same situation occurred a hundred years ago in the 1920s. The American Stock Market surged to crazy heights. People made fortunes by borrowing money and putting it into shares, but all those fortunes disappeared with the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Steve Halden

Beaufort Green

Swindon