Letter: Time to change our thinking

A reader believes it is time to change the way we care for others.

This is going to be controversial and to some unpalatable but needs to be said as many agree. It is also political dynamite.

However this pandemic and the resultant actions taken to protect an already stretched NHS have also detrimentally affected both the economy and the future heath (mental and physical) of many.

We have achieved this position through the pure thoughts that all human life is sacrosanct and every effort made to keep all alive as long as possible, which has led many elderly people being looked after in care homes who are in such a position health wise that if they were animals would have been “put down” to prevent undue suffering and prevention of a charge of cruelty to animals.

A few years ago after she had had a stroke my mother spent two years in care not knowing anyone or what was happening around her – this contrary both to her and my wishes.

Without this burden on the NHS there would have been no danger of the NHS being over stretched, and it would have been a simple matter of asking those who felt at risk to maintain a degree of isolation whilst the rest of the country and economy could carry on sensibly, creating a “herd” immunity and no chance of a second wave.

As this will not be the only pandemic over the next years we do need to learn and change our thinking which will be very difficult for the medical profession unless they view people’s health as they do animals.