Madam, - David Shanahan (June 18th), a private health executive, repeatedly describes his sector as independent. Not true. The provision of privatised healthcare depends upon fiscal incentives in the form of tradeable capital allowances.
It also depends upon a revenue stream which is provided by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, and arms-length regulation with the HSE as manager rather than provider of services.
I suggest the self-serving attempt to attach the label of independence is nothing but corporate verbiage. - Yours, etc,
IAN FLANAGAN, Firhouse, Dublin 24.