Sir, – The Editorial ("Departing doctors", October 16th) represents a sea change in your newspaper's coverage of the medical professional, for the first time noting the current and future risk to the delivery of safe, effective and cutting-edge health care in this country from poor morale.
Senior consultants and young doctors who have recently gone to other countries note the differences in the numbers of other medical, nursing and allied health professional staff delivering care; the vastly superior working environment; the much better terms and conditions; the improved morale and the facilities and equipment at their disposal. Most particularly, they note the absence of the relentlessly negative coverage in your newspaper, among others, on medical matters. This is not the norm in other countries where individual hospitals, the health-care system generally and the media in particular value the medical profession and acknowledge the excellence of the majority of the care provided.
The most sobering statistic is not that three consultants a month are exiting the system; that experienced and senior consultants are opting increasingly for early retirement due to the challenges experienced in the daily delivery of care in our creaking hospitals; that consultant posts cannot be filled – but that half of last year’s interns did not renew their Medical Council registration.
The Department of Health and the HSE clearly have a significant role to play in addressing this crisis but your newspaper should consider its part in the disintegration of morale in the health service. – Yours, etc,
Prof EDMOND SMYTH,
Wellington Road,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.