Madam, - The news that the Cabinet will confirm the appointment of a CEO for the new Health Service Executive in September is deeply depressing.
Cabinet members with a real interest in a rational solution to the health service crisis - and one that might work - should not miss reading the article by Constantin Gurdgiev in your edition of August 21st, in which he outlined the success of the privatisation of the Stockholm medical service using the Diagnosis Related Group system, an idea imported from the United States.
Supply-side economics need to be applied to the Irish Health service across the board. The Department of Health should be one guarantor of the quality of service provision through licensing and accreditation.
Money which follows service activity will always be more effectively spent than spending which is unrelated to output. Why impose this Health Service Executive when it will inevitably be binned? - Yours, etc.,
Dr BILL TORMEY, Glasnevin Avenue, Dublin 11.