Madam, - In response to your Editorial (Nov 7th), while it is to be welcomed that kitchens, operating theatres and intensive care units are to be included in future audits, the question remains as to why this glaring omission has been accepted up until now. There are further questions. Why are private hospitals not audited at all? And, just as importantly, why is no attention paid to either public or private nursing homes and institutions which house those people suffering from physical or mental disability as far as hospital-acquired infections are involved? We have evidence that such infections exist untreated in these places of care.
It is interesting that also on November 7th, your paper carries a report of a restaurant and a butcher's shop closed down because they were held to pose a threat to public health.
Note, the existence of a threat was sufficient for closure, not proof that they had actually caused any harm. Health inspectors have the capacity to carry out 50,000 inspections on food premises every year, and the statutory power to close down those not meeting the required hygiene and safety standard. Compare this with the fact that it makes headlines when the HSE can hire consultants to inspect 53 acute hospitals.
Surely our priorities are a bit skewed? - Yours, etc,
TERESA GRAHAM,
MRSA and Families Network,
Tramore,
Co Waterford.