Madam, - Elaine Keogh reports how "the family of retired farmer, Emmet Nulty (68) said they believed they saved his life by signing him out of hospital in Navan which does not have a vascular surgeon, driving him themselves to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin" (The Irish Times, October 21st).
This act of heroism by Mr Nulty's son and daughter, Derek and Celine, essentially led to the saving of their father's life by taking matters into their own hands and out of the hands of the HSE.
It is becoming more and more apparent that with the Irish health system in its current state, we are increasingly on our own. Horror stories of people dying on trolleys in the corridors of Dublin's hospitals may not affect those of us who are young, healthy and fit as much as they must worry the elderly in our society. Surely we owe them more. - Yours, etc,
JONATHAN DONOHOE, Portmanna, Clonee, Co Meath.