It is time for us to grow up in respect of these matters. We should be honest with one another. We should decide whether we are seeking status for our towns on the basis that a hospital can do certain things. Is it not far better for one to know what one's hospital can do? A certain status is associated with knowing that one can refer a person to a hospital in the certain knowledge that it can offer certain things. This is more important than relying on old diktats and dogmas that have been overtaken by modern life. It should be remembered that while the diagnostic, curative, consultancy and operational requirements of patients can vary, they do not vary in respect of one central tenet – all patients require the best possible treatment. All consumers of the Department of Health and Children's medical services want the best treatment, regardless of where it is received.