Sir, - After many years of waiting, the people of south-west Dublin are within sight of getting their new hospital. As the opening date draws nearer there is a great sense of anticipation and, in many quarters, a sense of urgency. There would appear to be a certain amount of pressure to have the hospital open in January, even though serious concerns have been expressed about the feasibility of meeting this date. In The Irish Times (September 23rd) Councillor Eamonn Walsh is reported to have commented that an early opening was contingent on the hospitals accepting that the new facility would not work perfectly from the first day.
I believe this comment warrants some critical analysis. What is being opened in Tallaght is not simply any public facility but a hospital; a hospital in which the primary focus will be on the health, safety and lives of our patients and where suboptimal standards and terms such as "not working perfectly" should have no place.
The primary mission of this new hospital is "to provide the highest quality of health care for all our patients". That is what people expect and they should not have to settle for less. On the question of the facilities required to provide this highest quality of care, it is vital that serious consideration be given to the expert views of the doctors, nurses, paramedical and support staff who will deliver health care and who ultimately are accountable to the public and, most importantly, to the individual patient for the standard and quality of that care.
Yes, the people of Tallaght have waited a long time for this hospital. However, suggestions that it should open in less than optimal conditions are not serving the best interests of patients. An additional few months' wait is a small price to pay for a hospital which will provide the highest quality of health care and which I believe will be a source of pride for the community for generations to come. - Yours, etc.,
From Gerry Fitzpatrick, (Consultant Anaesthetist)
Upper Churchtown Road, Dublin 14.