Private versus public health

Madam, – As a consultant working in a much maligned area, it was gratifying to read Sarah Carey (Opinion) and Pat Crowe’s amusing…

Madam, – As a consultant working in a much maligned area, it was gratifying to read Sarah Carey (Opinion) and Pat Crowe’s amusing letter (both January 6th). Major emergency departments in Ireland do provide an excellent level of service within the resources available, at all hours and throughout the year. One certainly has to grind one’s teeth and count to 10 when one hears a private hospital proclaim that it believes “no one should have to wait for care” and it aims to see you “within one hour”.

In 2009, more than 5,000 patients waited no time at all to be seen in our department and 75 per cent of patients had arrived, been seen, investigated, diagnosed, treated and left within six hours. No mean feat for a place that sees about 55,000 patients every year.

And we want to do better. The same holds true in public hospitals up and down the country.

May I also take this opportunity to thank the healthcare staff in my institution who actually slept in a closed ward in the hospital over the Christmas period so that they would be available for work on our emergency service. If they had gone home they mighty not have been able to come back due to the weather factor. Simply magnificent. – Yours, etc,

STEPHEN CUSACK,

Consultant in Emergency Medicine,

Emergency Department,

Cork University Hospital,

Cork.