Sir, - In her article of October 5th on hospital consultants, Maev-Ann Wren quoted Prof Muiris Fitzgerald as stating that "over 80 per cent of patients seen at public outpatient clinics are seen by NCHDs and not by consultants". This statement is both incorrect and unfair.
For my own part, I conduct three public outpatient orthopaedic clinics every week - one at St Vincent's University Hospital, one at St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, and a further one at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital. I personally see every single patient at each of these three clinics. Indeed, I commonly do not have an NCHD in attendance at my Cappagh speciality clinic.
It is important to note that Prof Fitzgerald is not a spokesman for all hospital consultants. - Yours, etc.,
Brian Hurson, Nutley Avenue, Dublin 4.