Madam, - Your edition of August 8th carried two articles relating to elective hospital procedures.
On page 3, Harry McGee describes how the HSE is paying on the double when patients are treated using the National Treatment Purchase Fund. Surgeons and other consultants unable to operate or perform procedures in public hospitals due to cancellations caused by budgetary cuts are being paid a private fee for the same patient in a private facility, sometimes just down the road.
On page 8 you report that Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown is cancelling all elective procedures until the end of September due to overspending (or inadequate funding).
Need one say more? - Yours, etc,
Dr A.M. GORMAN,
Consultant Histopathologist/Senior Lecturer in Pathology,
Beaumont Hospital/Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland,
Dublin 2.