Nursing practices

Evarist V. Saliba was unjustifiably discourteous measuring me as naïve for expecting that my mother should have received nothing short of a humane nursing service at the sparkling brand new Mater Dei Hospital (Caring For The Sick, November 27).

Does he really believe that patients' dignity and high quality nursing services are an inconsequential factor to the inauguration of a brand new, costly, hospital? I'm forcing myself not to say how silly but would he accept that sort of behaviour for himself and his loved ones?

His suggestion for an internal investigation, whose findings are made public, is what a civil servant would suggest. It runs the risk of avoiding the scale of realities.

We're probably here looking at a wider, deeper threat of deficient nursing practices migrating to Mater Dei from St Luke's. That is exactly what the reaction sparked off by my initial complaint in The Times - including from consultants - suggests to my questioning mind.

An independent standing commission is likely to do a better job in first determining how rampant low grade performance among nursing staff really is and then suggest norms that guarantee patients benefit from optimal nursing care that matches - not undermines - the man-sized services being provided by doctors and surgeons there. It would lay down tough rules for nursing staff to treat patients with respect.

That's what happens - more so in Europe - when a state wishes to confirm its credentials as being both modern and civilised. It doesn't plump for the first half measure that comes to mind.