SOME of the most experienced and highly-skilled nurses in the NHS fear for their jobs despite a budget surplus in the National Health Service, a survey indicates.
A fifth of the 330 specialist nurses polled by the Royal College of Nursing said they were at risk of redundancy or being downgraded.
Nurse leaders said it beggars belief that nurses were worrying about their jobs in the current climate. The health service is expected to post a large surplus when the accounts for 2007-8 are released later this year. The figure could be as high as £1.8bn.
The nurses' union said any cuts to the 40,000-strong workforce would represent a colossal waste of money – it takes three years and as much as £20,000 to train up many specialist nurses.
Specialist nurses mainly work in the community, helping to manage a range of long-term conditions. But they can also be employed by hospitals, covering conditions such as breast cancer and cardiac problems. Their remit goes beyond the role of a traditional nurse with many getting involved in the assessing, treating, diagnosing and referring of patients.
Nurses who are caring for people with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, strokes, diabetes, breast cancer and Parkinson's disease are vital to vulnerable groups of patients.
These are the very nurses who will be at the centre of the Government's plans to deliver care closer to home and yet these same nurses are being treated as soft targets.
Coun Shirley Leadbitter,
St Peters Ward,
Sunderland

Friends like these...
THERE'S nothing like being really appreciated by your boss.
You perform as required, gain the results needed and then he turns around when asked "what the Tories success was down to" and answers "Gordon Brown" (Triumph For The Tories, Echo, May 2).
Dear, oh dear Coun Lee Martin. Is that all the respect and gratitude you have for your own colleagues and fellow party members? Who needs political enemies with a friend and leader like that.
At least we of the Labour party know our fate is now in our own hands, not yours.
Has the "cut and paste" party started to become unstuck before their ink is even dry on the council scroll?
Bob Price,
Rydal Mount,
Fulwell,
Sunderland

Scoop the poop
MAY I draw attention to the man who drives his maroon Jaguar to Hylton Road football field daily and then releases his two white Highland terriers to release their excrement without him every attempting to clear up after them.
Do you not realise that this is a children's play area and the danger this creates to the health of our children?
I myself am a dog owner and carry the appropriate bags required to clean up after him, as do the majority of dog owners, who exercise their dogs in this field.
It's the likes of this thoughtless man who gets us dog owners a bad name.
Can I warn the man that the appropriate department has been informed about your careless actions and others like you.
I have been assured that action is going to be taken.
A Dog Lover

Full of free fares
I REFER to the letter "Pensioner's Plea" (Letters, May 6). I do not drive and pay a small fortune each month for the privilege of using the bus to get to and from work.
The buses are very busy travelling from Washington into Sunderland during the morning rush hour (ie before 9.30am) but I am able to get a seat.
It's the same in the afternoon, but then it's difficult to get a seat when the buses are full of passengers who are travelling for free. This is quite annoying when you've been at work all day.
Many years ago off-peak travel excluded the late afternoon/early evening hours as well as travel before 9.30am. I think this should remain in place today to leave the buses with space for workers returning home.
On another point I'd just like state that the fares charged by the bus company in Washington are ridiculously high.
It now costs £3.50 to travel to Newcastle and £2.30 to Sunderland. I'm sure other readers will agree that these fares are a rip-off.
Cee Dee,
Washington

Don't force pupils to stay at school
AFTER Labour's disastrous council defeats Gordon Brown reiterated that they propose to make pupils stay at school until 18 years. Why?
Pupils should leave at 16 and start to earn their living. Teachers, thanks to the EU, political correctness and red tape are unable to discipline pupils as it is. How can they control 18-year-olds who are young men and women?
Because of political correctness teachers cannot put a sticking plaster on a child's wound. Children know they have more powers than their teachers. Education is down the pan, standards are lower.
Is the 18 idea to improve the unemployment figures? Is it to leave jobs open for immigrants? Is it to catch up with what pupils what used to learn by 16?
Marjorie Matthews,
Aiskell Street,
Sunderland

It's so ridiculous
I SUPPORT wholeheartedly the parent who complained about her son's treatment by the NHS when he fell and broke his arm at St Aidan's school.
My sister had a similar experience a month ago. She came all the way from Washington on two buses to the Sunderland Royal to get her arm checked out as she thought she may have broken it, only to be turned away and told to go to the Grindon walk-in centre.
Luckily I was on hand to pick her up from the hospital and drop her off at Grindon. As it turned out, her arm was not broken, but had it been so, then she would have had to start getting buses or lifts back to the Royal for treatment, as the young boy from St Aidan's had to do. No doubt that poor boy was in a lot of pain.
I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life.
JW,
Grindon,
Sunderland

Letter was impolite
WITH reference to a letter (May 7), about impolite letters from Labour candidates, I too received a letter from St Michael's Ward Labour candidate addressing me by my Christian name. My prompt reply on the reverse side of his letter stated as we had not formally been introduced, I strongly objected to his use of my name. I did not receive a reply.
Also he did not get my vote.
Mrs Munro,
St Nicholas Avenue,
Sunderland

Let's grow rice here
AS our planet is experiencing extremes of weather with serious flooding and farming in crisis in Britain, growing many more trees and increasing floor barriers is essential indeed, but it is never going to be enough.
We must follow the great examples of some of the world's heaviest rainfall areas and create rice fields in all the flood-hazardous area.
Rice is the ultimate water absorbing plant and there can never be too much rice produced.
We should also manufacture solar panels to guarantee ripening of the plants.
Having spent part of my Army career in Malaysia, I'm convinced this is the vital way forward.
A very rice idea indeed.
James Chambers,
Rickleton Village Centre,
Washington

Mick's a typical man
MICK Brown is a typical man! He claims he is above average intelligence and yet his idea of enjoyment is watching football, just as we women like to watch our soaps.
I enjoy watching football myself and am a keen follower of the Black Cats, but I think there has been a surfeit of it lately. As for we ladies talking about soaps, have you ever heard men talk about yesterday's football? They discuss it for hours.
Anyway, clever Mick, from now until August you'll have to settle for cricket or tennis, while we mere women will still be happily wending out way over Emmerdale and down Coronation Street.
Mary Taylor,
Robert Wheatman Court,
Sunderland

SAMARITANS thank the people of Sunderland who generously put money in our buckets and tins during our street collection on Saturday, April 26, in Sunderland city centre. You gave the grand sum of £726.06. This whole sum will be a great help in the continuance of support our volunteers give to callers in their time of need. Thank you also to the friends of Samaritans who gave their time to collect. Well done everyone.
Ellen Rowley,
Sunderland Samarians

A BIG thank you to two young nurses, Tania and Rachel from the Primary Care Trust based at Grindon. These two efficient girls promptly treated me in my home on Thursday, April 24. I was having difficulty in breathing due to asthma and a bad bout of flu which had been with me for nearly two weeks.
Not yet fully back to strength but very grateful for their care.
Mrs Shirley Thompson,
Leeholme,
Houghton

IN answer to Mick The Pen, how dare he undermine the people who watch the soaps! I take it this man does not have a wife, because he likes watching sport and cowboy films. I suggest he gets Sky installed and he can watch sport and old movies all day and night. Then he wouldn't have time to write meaningless letters.
Soap Lover

TO the voters of Southwick Ward who voted for me and making me your councillor for the next four years, thank you for your support.. I will endeavour to do my very best for the people of Southwick and the ward.
I would also like to thank the Ward members and my friends and Chris Mullin MP for all their support and help that they gave me.
Councillor RE Copeland,
Ridley Street,
Southwick,
Sunderland

AFTER a letter to the Echo inviting Labour councillors to answer what they were going to do about the monstrosity of the mast that was illegally erected outside the Dolphin Pub in Farringdon and being totally ignored, maybe now after the local election results they may realise not to ignore the electorate that put them there.
Well done St Chad's, roll on the next election, so that we can get rid of the rest of the Labour councils and put this council where it belongs.
BR,
Ex-Labour

A VERY big thank you to gentoo for the wonderful job they did on my bathroom shower, that only took them two and a half days to complete. The men responsible were Eddie Davison, John Crutwell and Martin Welch. Thanks to Margaret Brunton and Peter for all the paperwork and caring and prompt attention. The workmen were very caring, considerate and kept the mess to a minimum.
Mary Anne Oliver,
Red House,
Sunderland

ON Bank Holiday Monday I had the misfortune to have an accident while boarding the 1.30pm bus to Peterlee at Dalton Park.
At once a gentleman came to my help and stayed with me untll the ambulance arrived. Then he also went into Dalton Park and informed my daughter.
I was so stressed I didn't have a chance to say thank you. So please, whoever you are, my thanks and gratitude. Also thanks to ambulance crew.
The Lord bless you all.
Mrs Mary Davison,
Murton