Madam, - The headline on Ray Kinsella's article in your issue of February 15th made the very worthy statement that patient welfare must get priority in any resolution of the consultants' dispute. The thrust of the article, however, has nothing to do with patient welfare, other than to cite it as a reason why the consultants' insurance dispute should be settled.
Patient welfare deserves far greater priority than this suggests and, while one has some sympathy for the 25 consultants who do not now have retrospective insurance cover, one's sympathy is sharply tempered by the selfish zeal with which the consultants have guarded their own position at the expense of patient welfare. They have, with a few principled exceptions, doggedly resisted all efforts to introduce the most basic principle of a proper health care system, namely that access should be on the basis of medical need, not the depth of one's pockets.
It is to the shame of their profession that they have proved to be the main stumbling block to proper reform of the health care system in this State. That is not to ignore the separate question of dealing with the urgent necessity of providing enough beds in A&E departments.
It is unfortunate, to put it at its kindest, that our politicians lack the political will to face down the consultants and implement reforms.- Yours, etc.,
JOHN SHEEDY, Pine Valley Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.