Madam, – Minister for Health James Reilly’s desire to be accountable for his ministry – shown by his request for the resignations of the HSE board – is a refreshing change from Mary Harney’s mantra “it’s not me, it’s the HSE”.
However, in reforming the system, let us hope Mr Reilly allows for the representation of patients’ views.
The HSE board contained, among others, three chartered accountants, one lawyer, two senior civil servants and one former secretary general of Fianna Fáil. It did not contain any patient representative.
Why not? Isn’t the health service about patients? The Campaign to Save St Luke’s, of which I am chairman, represents cancer patients and their families. Our voices were unheard in the decision to close St Luke’s Cancer Hospital, an existing centre of excellence. We hope to meet Mr Reilly shortly on the matter, and we are prepared to serve on any structure he may set up to represent cancer patients, and indeed patients generally. – Yours, etc,