A chara, – Simon Harris professes to be “broken-hearted” and “shocked” by the latest RTÉ exposé. At least, he did not tell us that it was “unacceptable”. If he were doing his job properly, he would not have been even slightly surprised. A competent Minister does not rely solely on his advisers. Albert Reynolds used to post himself letters from around the country to check the speed of the postal services! Had Mr Harris listened to his own Fine Gael TDs, to local politicians, to the petitions of his constituents, he would have been well aware of the true situation.
The Minister has a standard diversionary patter. His job is to formulate policy. Recurring crises can be blamed on the HSE. If the crisis is causing undue publicity, he will arrange an emergency meeting with HSE chief Tony O’Brien. Some minor changes are announced, and everybody relaxes until the next crisis emerges.
The Minister should realise that the buck stops with himself.
He should consider his position. – Is mise,
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PEADAR Mac MAGHNAIS,
Baile Átha Cliath 5.
Sir, – Your newspaper reports that "in the UK, the National Health Service defines waiting time as ending when a patient's treatment begins, rather than when an appointment is scheduled" ("Thousands of patients on unpublished hospital waiting lists", February 6th).
It is worth pointing out that in the NHS waiting time starts from the point the hospital or service receives the GP’s referral letter, or through the NHS e-Referral Service. I would suggest that waiting list times should be from when the GP referral is made to when treatment begins. – Yours, etc,
REGGIE SPELMAN,
Rosslare Strand,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – The Minister for Health has announced the development of a priority action plan to deal with orthopaedic waiting lists in excess of 18 months. Perhaps it has escaped the attention of HSE senior management, and the Minister for Health, that patients awaiting necessary oral surgical procedures in our public health “service” currently wait for periods in excess of three years. Politicians in general are only worried about the votes attendant on orthodontic services. For evidence, check the Dáil record for parliamentary questions relating to dental or oral health matters. – Yours, etc,
Dr MAURICE QUIRKE,
Dental Surgeon,
New Ross, Co Wexford.
Sir, – Is it not extraordinary that we can get thousands of demonstrators on to our streets several times a year for causes that are not related to life-or-death situations, yet we ignore the plight of our sick in health services that are totally inadequate? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CLEARY,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.