Sir, Are Fintan O'Toole and your correspondents on the matter of communication between doctors and patients not aware of "A Charter of Rights for Hospital Patients, putting the patient first"? Copies of this Charter are supposed to be on view in health board hospital waiting rooms and wards.
There are 12 rights, concerning both in patient and out patient services. They include privacy when discussing one's medical condition with hospital staff. A curtain pulled around a bed only gives an illusion of privacy. Patients also have the right to information about the nature and treatment of their illnesses ("in language which you can fully understand") and to have the details of their medical records made available to them ("except where it would be considered that this would cause serious harm to your physical or mental health"). Details are given of complaints procedures.
I include a copy in my hospital survival kit and have found it very useful to be able to quote from it when necessary. Yours, etc., Crannagh Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.