Sir, – RÃ"óisín Shortall TD wrote (July 4th) that the NHS is "still viewed as a source of national pride".
Earlier this year the British Medical Journal published a review article under the heading "Satisfaction with NHS hits new all-time low".
This article reported that public satisfaction with the NHS fell by six percentage points last year to 57 per cent, the lowest level since 2011.
Another recent survey showed that in England 20 per cent of patients must wait at least seven days to see their GP and many are unable to get an appointment at all.
Waiting times for a GP appointment are set to surge towards three weeks because of a shortage of family doctors, the survey warned.
International research has repeatedly found the UK’s cancer survival rates lagging behind the rest of Europe.
The latest data comparing 29 European countries found that the UK’s rates were worse than the EU average for nine out of 10 common cancers, including breast, bowel, and prostate and lung cancer.
Whatever model of a healthcare delivery system we adopt, I suggest that the last option should be the current NHS. – Yours, etc,
Dr REGGIE SPELMAN,
Health Centre,
Bridgetown, Co Wexford.