Sir, - The Irish Times is to be congratulated for focusing attention on the unhealthy state of our health services in the recent series of articles by Maev-Ann Wren and colleagues. Her coverage and understanding of the problems besetting the Forum on Medical Manpower might have benefited from talking to those who were present at the forum meetings.
As the Irish Medical Organisation's representative on the forum from April 1999 to April 2000, I can assure you that the IMO has worked tirelessly to bring the discussions to a successful conclusion. Our submission to the forum, which is available on our website (www.imo.ie/Documents/imoforum.doc), Bookmark not defined. clearly sets out our position on the problems and possible solutions to the crisis in our hospitals today. We believe that a fair reading of it will show that the IMO is committed to providing a safe and equitable healthcare service in our hospitals. Incidentally, Maev-Ann Wren seems to criticise the IMO for ceding no ground on the issue of revised consultant contracts before negotiation. I wonder how journalists in The Irish Times might feel if the company decided to change their contracts following discussions with the DIT School of Journalism instead of the NUJ? - Yours, etc.,
Dr Fenton Howell, Immediate Past President, Irish Medical Organisation, Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2.