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Opinion: December 2007

Justine who? A case of the media shooting the messenger

Kealan Flynn | 14 December 2007 | Kealan Flynn

Rather than addressing the core issues, which a relatively unknown journalist raised in her book and television series, the media (broadcasters in particular) opted instead to line up, much like the characters in Murder on the Orient Express, each taking... Read more

Budget doesn't deliver on health service needs

Dr Mick Molloy | 14 December 2007 | Mick Molloy

The Budget has come, and gone away again as quickly, for many. We had been promised for a number of years that medical card eligibility thresholds would be raised significantly. Those on the margins of society could really do with... Read more

Getting the system to work requires trust

Dr Joyce Galbraith | 14 December 2007 | Guests

The battles that rage today in order to provide a health service commensurate with Ireland’s growing prosperity call to mind the battles that raged in the UK in the 40’s during the lead-up to the formation of the National Health... Read more

Full NLite details

Dr C Dupont, Consultant Dermatologist, 18 Merlyn Road, Dublin 4 | 14 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, If Dr David Buckley (30.11.07) had read anything but the title of my letter to Irish Medical Times (5.10.07) he would have seen that I said the placebo response to laser treatment is unquestionable. It is high time... Read more

GPs assessments– the point was?

Dr John Kehoe, Blessington Road, Naas, Co Kildare | 14 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, The headline on the front page of Irish Medical Times, 30.11.07 ‘Thousands of patients assessed their GPs’ could equally have read ‘Thousands of GPs couldn’t have been bothered asking their patients to assess them’, or ‘Medical Council foists... Read more

Fewer meetings and with more structure

Prof Michael Fitzgerald, Henry Marsh Professor Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TCD | 14 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, One of the best articles I have ever read in Irish Medical Times was published last week called ‘Consultant Meetings are the biggest time-wasters of all’. Greg Baxter could have added that 80 per cent of other meetings... Read more

GP non-compliance with CA scheme needs questioning

Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill, MRCPsych. Consultant Psychiatrist, Sallins, Co Kildare | 14 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, I am surprised by Dr Quigley’s description of the Medical Practitioners Act as “quite good” (IMT 30.11.07). He seems to have had a Pauline conversion in recent weeks, perhaps with the election to the Medical Council appearing imminent.... Read more

Travel in the patient's shoes

Dr Mick Molloy | 07 December 2007 | Mick Molloy

What a week this was. Everyone knows about Portlaoise- word has gotten around about the relevant issues in Cork, and a small cohort know what is happening in Galway. The Minister for Health has just survived a motion of no... Read more

Accountability doesn't rest with Harney alone

Dr Mark Hannon | 07 December 2007 | Mark Hannon

Acres of newsprint and hours of radio and television airtime have been devoted to the various crises which the Health Service Executive (HSE), and Minister Harney in particular, have found themselves embroiled in over the past few weeks. Indeed, if... Read more

Vaccination systems are efficient

Dr Teresa McSweeney and Dr Aine O’Sullivan, Dept of Community Health, Kerry Community Services | 07 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, With regard to the article Vaccination in schools is a mess (Irish Medical Times, 9 November 2007), we wish to point out that this is not the case in all areas. While it may reflect the personal experience... Read more

Sub Sahara still needs our help

Dr Catherine Conlon, ICROSS | 07 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, The latter half of the twentieth century has been characterised by more striking changes than ever before. The world’s population has doubled from three to six billion. Economic disparities have widened dramatically with billions of people now living... Read more

Another report for the shelves? Yes, is the simple answer

Harold A Maio American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Advisory Board member, Ft Myers, Florida 33907, USA | 07 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, The Irish Medical Times article Another report for the shelves? (23 November) has the answer in its title– just drop the question mark. The National Economic and Social Forum report on Mental Health and Social Inclusion fails to... Read more

New treatment gives results

Dr Patrick Treacy, Medical Director, Ailesbury Clinics Ltd., Suite 6, Merrion Court, Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4. | 07 December 2007 | Letters

Dear Editor, At the risk of taking the “acne and laser” argument to another level, Irish Medical Times readers should be aware of a new quick and painless technology combining IPL broadband light and photopneumatics. This was rated as one... Read more