Give community nurses resources they deserve

ON behalf of the members of the Institute of Community Health Nurses, we wish to commend Fergus Finlay for his column headlined ‘Community nurses and home helps show how to run a health service’ (July 20).

He has identified the contribution community nursing can make in supporting families, including young parents, people with disabilities and older people.

Community nurses are ideally placed in every village and town in Ireland, often with limited resources and inadequate systems to support their work.

If the debate on our health service would take into account the enormous resource that is available in every community to prevent illness, we would be only too happy to promote health and sustain people in their homes.

Mary O’Dowd

Professional Development Officer

Institute of Community Health Nursing

Royal City of Dublin Hospital

Upper Baggot Street

Dublin 4