THE idea (Letters, July 23) that the state could save money, which would go into the NHS funds, by cutting down on free bus travel for old people (and in some areas for young ones too) and by doing away with free school meals for all, is irrational.
Health is not about going to the NHS after you are ill. It is about living in such a way as to promote your own health. These two schemes are effective ways of achieving this preventive effect.
I put "free bus travel and health" into Yahoo and up came with a long list of studies showing that free bus travel has been effective in promoting health in old people and also in young people. For older people this is likely through increased exercise and more social contact with friends and others.
There has been an increase in the number of old people who travel by bus since the introduction of the free bus pass; and there is little doubt that if the concession were to be removed or made complicated as in previous schemes, the numbers travelling would fall back.
Previously in Strathclyde old people had a concession card but eventually had to pay 40p per journey as a contribution to the costs of travel. Arthritic fingers and blurry eyesight made handling a card and small coins very difficult, especially if gloves and a stick had to be kept under control at the same time. This was off-putting for potential users of the scheme and reduced the uptake by the very people who needed help. That scheme, like the present one, was not means-tested.
The documentation around the benefit of free school meals for children's health and their subsequent lifetime eating habits is fairly complex. In Wikipedia a recent article entitled "School meal programs in the United States" covers a lot of the history, benefits and problems. The fact that several European countries, including England, offer or are introducing free school meals shows that many different authorities have come to the conclusion that they offer long-term value for money.
Should free bus travel and free school meals be offered to all irrespective of income? Surely by now we have learned that in concessionary schemes of these types means testing has many more adverse effects than benefits - such as the expensive bureaucracy required, an appeals system, cheating of the system, those who need it being unwilling to apply for the service and children and adults not wishing to let others see that they are in need of financial help.
The answer is: yes, these schemes should be offered to all, not least because they have the potential to save money for the NHS as a result of improved national health.
Hugh Boyd,
65 Antonine Road,
Bearsden.
THE Scottish Government's block grant covers a limited field of services, such as health, education, police and roads, and if the NHS is given additional funding then cuts would have to be made in another of these areas to balance the Scottish budget.
There would be a significant reduction in the capital account finance for hospitals and the like if the UK Government continues to increase the range of services that it buys in from the private sector in England.
An independent Scottish Government would have the ability to redistribute funds from the whole range of services currently provided on behalf of Scotland by the UK Government.
John Jamieson,
37 Echline Place,
South Queensferry.
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