Sir, – Yesterday's call by Prof Orla Hardiman for a clinical research health institute is well argued and would make perfect sense if we had rational leadership which actually took decisions based on data ("Health reform requires data-driven approach", Opinion & Analysis, August 7th).
For example, alcohol abuse costs €3 billion with €1 billion attributable to healthcare alone, yet just €109 million is allocated to treatments. The Comptroller & Auditor General reported on the lack of measurement of the effectiveness of addiction services back in 2009, yet treatment effectiveness is still not reported.
There are 2,000 hospital beds occupied every night by people with an alcohol-related illnesses, yet there is very little mention of reducing alcohol abuse and improving alcohol treatments in reducing waiting lists. All of this has been brought to the attention of the HSE, the Department of Health and the Oireachtas, with limited effect. Unless “implementation deficit disorder” is tackled, the proposed institute of health research will be just another costly quango. – Yours, etc,
CAROL MOORE,
Kimmage
Dublin 6W.
