Letters to the Editor: I’d prefer medical screening to a funeral

'From where I stand, medics in Ireland are absolutely overworked and undervalued. But the patient did not cause that and doctors are not the gatekeepers to health care'

'Anxiety comes with not knowing what’s wrong with our bodies. I will go for my scan, they will say “sure it’s grand” and my anxiety will go away. If, on the other hand, my scan shows an issue, my GP and I will make a plan to manage or fix the issue and, like magic, my anxiety will disappear.' File picture

In response to the opinion piece by GP Mike Thompson, my blood pressure has actually gone up.

Later this morning, I will actually be attending my own GP practice to discuss fiddling around with the medication I use to control my hypertension. Elevated blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it frequently has no noticeable symptoms and can cause serious damage to vital organs. It could kill me so I think it’s worth respecting as there is some slight organ damage.