Madam, - I find it incredible that following the debacle at Barrington's Hospital, Limerick, recently, when it was admitted that the HSE has no powers of inspection of private hospitals, there hasn't been a single comment from any quarter about quality of care in private hospitals across the State.
Given that under the National Treatment Purchase Scheme public patients are routinely treated in such hospitals, and given that the Minister for Health is hell-bent on building yet more private hospitals, should we not at least know that the treatment provided is of a certain standard?
Nice and all as it is to have lovely food and a comfortable room when in hospital, one should never assume that the medical care is commensurate with the surroundings. Quite possibly it is, but how do we know if there is no monitoring? - Yours, etc,
ANNE WALSH, Ballintemple, Cork.