Sir, - I wonder how many people share my intense of embarrassment at the manner in which my public representatives, ultimately in the person of the Minister for Health, have left the nurses no other option than strike action. Dr John Crown, one of the foremost experts in this country for curing breast cancer, has made an urgent plea in your paper (Opinion, October 16th) that nurses should be given a pay rise.
From my personal experience of a major operation and six months' of chemotherapy, I would strongly suggest that specially qualified and experienced nurses should be promoted into an improved salary scale. I also believe that this category of nurses should be entrusted with greater professional independence. Repeatedly I had the frustrating experience that a nurse would reply to any of my questions about my condition, "Sorry, we are not allowed to give you an answer. Do ask the doctor." I knew well that they knew what I needed to know but a rigid hierarchy within the hospital restricted them. This is a shameful waste.
I would urge the Minister for Health to introduce measures to allow the best possible use of the excellent human resource which our nurses represent. I also appeal to the same Minister not to alienate a profession with a long proven record of commitment. If necessary, he must appeal to other sections of society to hold back their demands in order to allow the nurses to return to the hospital beds with a sense of practical appreciation of their work. In the last analysis this is in all our interests. We never know for whom the bell tolls. - Yours, etc.,
Prof Anngret Simms, Gilford Road, Dublin 4.