‘Harney would have lost job elsewhere’

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney would have resigned or been sacked from her position if she was in Government in any other country, according to one of the most distinguished medical practitioners in Ireland Dr Maurice Neligan.

The former consultant cardiac surgeon at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, said Ms Harney and the Health Service Executive are “living in cloud cuckoo land” if they believe patients are not suffering as a result of recent cutbacks in health spending.

He also said Ms Harney and the HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm have “alienated themselves” from doctors, nurses and all carers in the health service, which he said now values administrators more than it does sick people.