Madam, - It is heartening to read that the number of patients waiting for hospital treatment has dropped by about 1,500, no doubt due in large part to the Treatment Purchase Fund initiative (The Irish Times, December 2nd).
However, there is a second list of those waiting for assessment, and the figures for the Mid West Region are truly worrying. There are 8,649 patients waiting for assessment by consultants, those patients having been referred by their medical practitioners.
Even these figures do not show the whole picture. Excluded are those waiting for an orthodontic assessment: 2,181. Also excluded are children and adults waiting a diabetic assessment (Limerick Leader, August 14th).
I am quite sure the Mid Western Health Board is not the only Health Board to have such a second waiting-list and I believe that the Minister should seek these figures from all health boards before they are disbanded.
How can the Minister for Health reform the health services in the absence of such critical information? - Yours, etc.,
Mrs WIN HARRINGTON,
Clontarf Place,
Limerick.