Madam, - In your report (March 9th) on the critique of the Hanly Report by Dr Catherine McNamara, health economist, presented at Kill, Co Kildare, you state that the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, was baffled by the critique, found her theories fundamentally wrong and accused her of deliberate misrepresentation of the report.
I was at the presentation of the critique and did not find it baffling in the least. As a layman it was to me a clear and lucid presentation of well researched and factually based information, which exposed the Hanly Report's weaknesses. The Hanly Report sets out on one hand to comply with the EU Junior Doctors' Hours Directive. Reform in this area is long overdue, and is to be welcomed.
The report then tries to reform the State health services, which is long overdue also. However, the Hanly Report proposed a reduction in the number of junior doctors, the concentration of all junior doctors in 12 regional hospitals, and the downgrading of 26 local hospitals.
The withdrawal of doctor-led A and E from hospitals in the 26 catchment areas will lead to the loss of life or major disability for accident and trauma victims. In the case of Co Clare, medical practitioners have stated that 20 deaths would occur annually without 24-hour A and E in Ennis General Hospital. The people of Clare utterly reject the A and E closure plans. They all will have an opportunity to express their rejection of Government policy in the forthcoming local and European elections.
The Minister in recent statements is contradicting what is stated in the Hanly Report. Many people in Ireland would welcome clarifications. (a) Is the Hanly Report Government policy or not? (b) Are all local hospitals to retain 24-hour doctor-led A and E services? (c) Will the taxpayer and citizens be consulted on hospital closures or downgrading? (d) Are the public health services being run down to be replaced by private health services? - Yours, etc.,
PEADAR McNAMARA, PRO, Ennis General Hospital Development Committee, Magowna, Inch, Co Clare.