DOCTORS want cancer “centres of excellence” rebranded as “specialist centres” to allay patient fears that treatment anywhere other than the so-called centres of excellence may be substandard.

FEARS for personal safety and the security of their homes have prompted doctors to demand that the Medical Council remove home address details from its online database.

The country’s top medics tonight launched a withering attack on the Government’s health strategy branding the Health Service Executive cowardly, incompetent and arrogant.

I WISH to respond to Deputy John Gormley (Irish Examiner letters, February 14) who launched an extraordinary and bitter personal attack on me in response to my letter revealing the Green Party’s apparent hostility towards vaccinations (Irish Examiner letters, February 8).

YOUR readers could have been forgiven for thinking Dr Ruairi Hanley (Irish Examiner letters, February 8) was motivated solely by concern for the wellbeing of children when he criticised the Green Party’s “so-called” health policy.

IN its recently-announced health policy, the Green Party is apparently of the view that healthcare for young children should be a top priority for government.

A RECENT report from the labour market research bureau of Fás indicated that there will be a shortage of 1,000 general practitioners in Ireland by 2015.