Geraldine Luddy, Director of the Women's Health Council.
Personal/family:
Married to Maurice with one daughter and one son, Emma and Daniel.
What figure from the world of medicine or health do you most admire?
Noel Browne for introducing the mother and child scheme in the face of opposition from the establishment.
What other career might you have chosen?
Medicine or a dancer.
If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be?
I would introduce universal equitable access to a public health system for all, enable people to move through the health delivery system seamlessly accessing the right care in the right place at the right time and initiate gender analysis of all health policies/plans.
What is your greatest fear?
I have a dog phobia.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?
Yes, I was a patient, and yes, I was a good one.
When or where are you happiest?
In good company.
How do you cope with stress?
I try to tackle it head on if possible, work through it and exercise a lot.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself?
Common sense.
What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
I can be a bit impatient.
Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies?
Yes, I use acupuncture for whiplash injury.
Who or what makes you laugh?
Paul Merton, my husband and the film House Sitter.
What is your motto?
I have simple tastes, I'm always satisfied with the very best - Oscar Wilde.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme?
The News and CSI Las Vegas.
What books would you bring to a desert island?
Where I'm Calling From, Raymond Carver's collection of short stories, Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice and Wild Swans by Jung Chang.