Madam, – Last week the media – print and broadcast – went into overdrive about two middle-aged middle-class men who couldn’t agree who would make the best “head prefect”. Not a word about the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 which reaches committee stage in the Dáil on June 24th.
This Bill, cleverly introduced by Minister for Health Mary Harney when the World Cup is on, will dissolve the board of St Luke’s Cancer Hospital, Rathgar and transfer the valuable site and all the other assets to the dysfunctional HSE. St James’s hospital will become the southside “centre of cancer excellence” as St Luke’s is wound done.
Surely the closing down of an existing centre of excellence which is one of the few success stories of our public health service is worthy of media comment.
Patients had no input in the decision, but doubtless the Minister doesn’t see patients as “experts”.
Experts are people you consult in the knowledge they’ll give you the answer you want. – Yours, etc,