Sir, – Dr William Behan (January 6th) lists health care waiting times which are unacceptable in any civilised society. The root of the problem is that the HSE is permitted to operate a system assessed on the basis of inputs only. Taken to its logical conclusion, a optimum financial outcome could be achieved by ceasing all treatment and thus eliminating the marginal costs incurred in dealing with those troublesome patients, many of whom have the temerity to be actually ill. The beauty of this is that the costs associated with maintaining the infrastructure would be maintained.
At what stage will the waiting time for antenatal care go to 10 months? – Yours, etc,