THE statement by Dr Susanna Lo that radiologists rarely have patient contact (South China Morning Post, May 6) may have been true 20 years ago, but in this era diagnostic radiology is at the forefront of innovative patient care with extensive patient and clinical contact.

Dr Lo's statement raises serious questions as to her most recent contact with practising doctors (and including radiologists) and the Health Authority's remoteness from daily patient doctor interaction.

The fact that the Health Authority considers employing private radiologists is horrendous proof of the lack of understanding and failure of planning by the previous Government Health Service. More worrying is the Health Authority's inability to correct this deficit.