I NOTE your article regarding the shortage of hand gel at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital ("Fears of risk to patients as superhospital hit by hand gel shortage", The Herald, July 11). How dispiriting to read that a spokesman for the health board said, after a predictable load of guff re the location of the 2,608 alcohol-based hand rub dispensers in the QEUH, "additional measures are now in place to ensure these are more robustly monitored". They don't need to be monitored, more robustly or otherwise, they need to be filled. D'you see?

In January 2018 you published a letter from me on the self-same subject in which I suggested that a team of "filler-uppers" be employed for this basic, essential role in hospital hygiene. At that time the then deputy director of public health in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, stating the obvious said, "clean hands help prevent the spread of infection." Wow! Who knew?

Time for fewer words and more action from the health board plus a great big "this is going to hurt" injection of common sense. In short; shut up and fill up.

Patricia Allison, Giffnock.

ON Tuesday of this week, I accompanied my very pregnant daughter to an antenatal appointment at QEUH. As I sat in the waiting area, I happened to be facing the water cooler, and couldn’t help but notice a large placard (virtually the size of the container) which clearly stated that this facility was not to be used to refill water bottles, and that this was an infection control regulation. Disposable cups were provided beside it.

I then watched in disbelief as a nurse approached the water cooler, plastic bottle in hand, and proceeded to fill it.

The shortage of hand gel, highlighted in today’s paper, is an obvious concern, but even if it were in plentiful supply, it can only be effective if people use it, in the same way that regulations are only effective if people abide by them. What hope is there of the general public complying with rules if even the staff pay no heed whatsoever?

Helen Wilson, Glasgow G11.

A BIT of help, please, for those of us unfamiliar with NHS management-speak.

Does "additional measures are now in place to ensure these (the sanitiser containers) are more robustly monitored" really just mean that folk will be told to do their jobs properly, and does "monitored" mean that there will be two people involved: one to fill the containers and another to watch and tick the box?

Bryan Chrystal, Edinburgh EH14.