Dear Editor, While I agree with Dr Dupont’s letter in Irish Medical Times, dated 5/10/2007, that the response of acne to laser is “unquestionable”, I strongly disagree with his comment that laser treatment is not cost effective. In fact, in our laser clinic, we offer laser treatment for acne sufferers and charge €375 for this [...]
Terence Cosgrave says that research on stem cells should continue unless there is a viable alternative It is regrettable that down through the ages science and politics have often been at odds. Though the Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’ took place over 80 years ago, there are still parts of America– and the rest of the world– [...]
Dear Editor, As someone who has taken an interest in medical school entry for several years, I was extremely interested to hear the speech made by Dr Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Dublin City University’s President, advocating a drastic overhaul of university entry requirements and uttering the word “lottery” (euphemistically known as random selection). It is commonly [...]
Dear Editor, The HSE intends to centralise cancer services in eight regional ‘Centres of Excellence’. Many hospitals already have had their breast cancer service discontinued and there are plans to discontinue services in further hospitals. The HSE states that British Columbia has a similar population to Ireland and that it covers an area equal to [...]
In the late 1980s, when Ireland had a straight choice between reining in the public finances on its own initiative, or allowing the International Monetary Fund to do the job for it, one of the quieter line ministers met serious resistance to the spending cuts from his most senior civil servant. Sensing the threat to [...]
Summer is often called ‘the silly season’ by journalists because of the dearth of news. Winter, on the other hand, seems to be full of stories and no winter could be fuller than this one, particularly given the healthcare issues currently in circulation. Cancer care, hospital standards, missed diagnoses, specialist qualifications, consultant contracts, emergency department [...]
Terence Cosgrave says the creation of the Health Service Executive was an extraordinary case of ‘blame avoidance’ and that both the Government and the HSE need to take responsibility for the services they control There is a great scene in the 1988 movie Dangerous Liaisons where John Malkovich and Glenn Close are conspiring (yet again) [...]
Dear Editor, I refer to the article published by Mr Ed Madden on 26 October in relation to my case in the High Court in July 2007. First, I would like to thank Mr Madden and the Irish Medical Times for kindly publishing the article and bringing the matter to the attention of your readers. [...]
Dear Editor, Reports of a ‘loophole’ in the health system in which public patients supposedly receive private treatment through the NTPF after purposely cancelling a public appointment are completely inaccurate and misleading. Patients are not “cashing in on the NTPF scheme by cancelling their first appointment or going on holiday”. The health system deals with [...]
There are many things we medical professionals are asked to do which, at times, seem to be entirely removed from our primary role. One of the things that irritates me at the moment is the frequency with which workplaces, schools and universities demand that people who have been treated in an emergency department have a [...]
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