Madam, - The inquiry into the tragic death of Roisin Ruddle leaves one in no doubt that mis-management and ineptitude were evident both locally within hospital management, where there was a complete lack of urgency in seeking to recruit much needed specialist nurses, and nationally by the Department of Health in ensuring that sufficient overall numbers were trained in the first place.
Unfortunately, this two-pronged managerial failure is repeated throughout our health service with my own speciality of general practice being a prime example.
An acute dramatic shortage of GPs is imminent as the population enlarges and ages. Everyone, including doctors, health managers and the most senior Departmental officials are aware that wholly inadequate numbers of new GPs are being trained.
Doctors at the coal face such as myself are blue in the face trying to draw attention to this issue so that a genuine crisis might be averted.
Local health managers appear to make only token efforts at addressing the problem and the departmental response is to pay lip service to the concerns expressed while doing little of practical value to improve matters within the required time frame.
In consequence, the identical managerial failures which contributed to the death of this poor child are currently being replicated in primary care.
Minister Harney's concentration on easing problems in A&E may be smart politically but is unlikely to lead to longer term improvements unless she also seeks to tackle both the chronically poor management and obvious staff shortages which so characterise our health service. - Yours, etc.,
Dr SHANE CORR,
Crann Nua,
Carrickmacross,
Co Monaghan.