The politicians and the hospital hierarchy just need to talk to their staff. Talk to the people on the ground doing the long hours, the staff working in the emergency department, on the wards, the paramedics, I’m sure they have a multitude of suggestions they’d like to put forward but have no input to fix the problem.

One of the biggest problems is people presenting to the emergency department or ringing for an ambulance with non-urgent medical conditions.

People are presenting to ED instead of going to a GP because they don’t get charged.

There needs to be an education program started to teach the public when to call an ambulance when to go to ED.

Stop wasting theses medical professionals time with petty complaints.

Maybe charging a fee for non-urgent medical calls to the ambulance service would help this problem.

Open a free 24/7 GP practice away from the hospital so people have an alternative.

Sometimes there a simple ideas that can help. People need to work together to fix the problems, surely that’s not hard.

UNLIKE Malcolm Scott (The Examiner, October 24) I agree with Jim Dickenson. The last thing Launceston needs is to become like Melbourne, Sydney or the other state capitals, where magnificent and historic buildings that are part of our heritage are overpowered and diminished by adjacent high rise office blocks, hotels etc.

In places the side streets in these cities are like canyons where the sun only brightens the street surface for a short period each day. I can, as an ex-Melbourne resident, vouch for this and these streets become veritable wind tunnels at times and can be quite cold and dark as a result.

If that approach is moving with the times, as Mr Scott says, then let’s leave things as they are.

I think that maybe another floor or two (say a maximum of eight floors) at the most more than the Myer building is more than enough.

I FIND it interesting that after the articles in the press and on social media regarding the Launceston council electoral sign bylaw there are still properties in breach.

It makes me wonder how these people will perform if elected when they cannot comply with the rules of the election.

AS A Nurse who works over time on a regular basis I was horrified to read the letter sent in by Mr Brough (The Examiner, October 19).  I am truly disappointed that the letter does not appear to support Tasmanian nurses in achieving pay parity with other states and ensuring better clinical outcomes for the Tasmanian community.  

There is much evidence showing the strong link between errors in health care, poor patient outcomes and the amount of over time worked.

FROM his letter regarding media coverage of Harry and Meghan’s recent trip (The Examiner, October 27), it seems Mr Fenner is a recent immigrant.

He says the public’s gushing over these people is demeaning to us as an independent, democratic nation.

Had Mr Fenner lived here very long, he would realise Australia is not independent.

Our Head of State is the Queen of England, our flag features a foreign ensign, our currency portrays Queen Elizabeth II, and our service personnel pledge to “well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth”.

Democratic?

The above-mentioned Head of State is born to the job.

The Governor-General and State Governors are appointed, not elected.

Prime Ministers, Premiers and Ministers come and go at the whim of party factions.

Whilst we elect members of Parliament, they vote according to the dictates of their party, not the electorate.

All societies need people to admire and follow. 

Unable to choose who will hold executive roles, Australians have no alternative but retain England for its affective leadership and ceremonial focus. 

British Royalty is an ideal choice; it is second only to Liberace when it comes to camp performances in fur, fabrics and jewels.

We are not sycophantic or childish, Mr Fenner; we are simply bound to an archaic and barely workable system of governance which does not provide for Australian leaders and/or rituals.  

We are not back in the colonial days, Mr Fenner; we are yet to emerge from them.

WITH the closure of Sydney’s Invictus Games, a salutary retrospective of the games is the wounded and ill defence veterans coming together to compete and share experiences with people who understand is immeasurable.

The number of competitors who have expressed the games have saved their lives is a credit to Prince Harry, the pioneer of the aforementioned games, an experienced war veteran himself, which translates effortlessly into such high regard amongst participants and their respective families towards the Prince and his very capable wife, Meghan.