Sir, – Dr Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne eloquently illustrates Ireland’s unusual position as the only country in western Europe without universal healthcare (“Tackling health service waiting lists”, Letters, October 26th). Is it time to reconsider inserting a “right to health” in the Constitution, as outlined by TD Dr Michael Harty in his proposed Right to Health Bill in 2019? Whereas no state can guarantee the perfect health of each of its citizens, a right to health protection – access to appropriate healthcare and the preconditions necessary for the highest attainable standards of health – would be a powerful tool to drive health reform, increase political accountability, and improve health equity in Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Dr RALPH HURLEY O’DWYER,
Cambridge,
Massachusetts, US.