Madam, - It is now more than two years since the Minister for Health declared a moratorium on hospital waiting-lists and predicted they would be eliminated in two years. Surprised by such clearly misplaced confidence, but more seriously affected by his lack of understanding of the enterprise of which he is effectively chairman, I published an article in The Irish Times (July 25th, 2002) pointing out why our health system, of its nature, does not allow abolition of waiting lists.
A serious structural change is required. The Minister patently lacks the understanding and skills for such change. Further, as effectively we have never had another system, the civil service lacks the relevant experience. Let us hope some vision will reveal itself in the next Minister for Health. - Yours, etc.,
HUGH STAUNTON,
BSc, FRCPI, FRCP, Ph.D.,
Lansdowne Road,
Dublin 4.