Madam, - Enda O'Brien's letter of June 15th, criticising Fintan O'Toole's column of June 12th, cites GPs as exemplary profit-motivated health workers, thus allegedly debunking the ground for one of Mr O'Toole's arguments against hospital co-location.
What Mr O'Brien fails to mention is that there is no segregation in general practice based on a patient's ability to pay. Private and public patients are seen under the one roof with no distinction. It is only when the GP seeks to refer the patient for hospital or consultant treatment that ability to pay and health insurance marks the patient out for preferential treatment.
As highlighted in a recent joint policy statement from the Adelaide Hospital Society and the Jesuit Centre for Justice and Peace, the hospital co-location policy as currently planned will only serve to copper-fasten this unjust situation. - Yours, etc,
Dr PASCAL O'DEA GP, Medical Centre, Bachelors Walk, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.