Letter : If It Wasna’ For The Workers

Dear The Orkney News, Our neighbour works as a Nurse in the Balfour Hospital. When our road was blocked with snow, but the top road had been cleared, it was arranged that a Coastguard vehicle would collect her at an arranged point on the top road, take her to work then bring her back again.…

theorkneynews

January 9, 2026

1–2 minutes

Bernie Bell, letter

Dear The Orkney News,

Our neighbour works as a Nurse in the Balfour Hospital. When our road was blocked with snow, but the top road had been cleared, it was arranged that a Coastguard vehicle would collect her at an arranged point on the top road, take her to work then bring her back again.

This is possible because the NHS can work with the Coastguard. If our health care was privatized, this wouldn’t happen. The Doctors and Nurses would have to make their own way, or not, with resulting possible shortages of staff in the hospitals.

This situation high-lights yet another reason why it’s vital that we keep the NHS as a National Health Service.

I’m also writing this as a shout-out to the Nurses, and the Coastguard drivers, and the bloke in the snow-plough whose actions meant that we eventually had a clear road yesterday and could get out to stock up on food – before the snow came back.

Yours, Bernie Bell

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5 responses to “Letter : If It Wasna’ For The Workers”

exuberante7b385d16d

January 9, 2026 at 10:52 am

Collaboration and helping each other out has been the strength of humans since we came out of the sea. Or the trees, depending on your preferred origin story.

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berniebell1955

January 9, 2026 at 11:51 am

I go for the sea…then the trees.. then……

https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/11/07/is-this-where-our-big-brains-have-taken-us/

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Davo

January 9, 2026 at 12:00 pm

“This is possible because the NHS can work with the Coastguard. If our health care was privatized, this wouldn’t happen. The Doctors and Nurses would have to make their own way, or not, with resulting possible shortages of staff in the hospitals.”

Really? Do you have any evidence to support this assertion?

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1. berniebell1955
  
  January 9, 2026 at 5:46 pm
  
  No, I don’t. But can you see a Private Health Care company – based on profit – going out of its way to provide this service?
  
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  1. Davo
    
    January 10, 2026 at 3:14 pm
    
    It’s not a matter of opinion, but fact, that NHS regularly/successfully collaborates with private medical service providers. ism you didn’t think your “wouldn’t happen” assertion through.
    
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