• Ireland Healthcare Information

The Republic of Ireland passed the Health Act 2004, and resulted a new national health service (Health Service Executive) to be formed on 1st of January 2 005.

This national health service is tasked to ensure that public health care and personal social services are available and affordable to all residents in the country. It is currently being reviewed as part of the government's reform program. Public healthcare providers and private healthcare providers are both active in the Republic of Ireland.

In 2005, expenditure on health care amounts to 8.2% of the country's GDP (or US$3996 per capita) with 79% of that amount coming from the government's investment in public sector.

Under the health service executive, which is funded by taxation money, all residents are entitled to free or subsidized public healthcare. When a subsidized payment is expected, the amount is derived from income bracket, age, illness or disability. Children and expectant mothers can expect free healthcare related services, so is the emergencies cases.

Holders of European Health Insurance Cards, regardless of they being residents or visitors, are able to receive treatment and maintenance in health service and voluntary hospitals free of charge. This is extended over to outpatient treatment as well, if the patients are drawing incomes less than the national median, or a subsidized fee will be charged.

For low income earners, or residents who are on welfare benefits, or suffering from certain illnesses that are severe or long-term in nature, they are provided with medical card. Medical card makes possible free basic medical care (such as visits to hospital, GP, dentist and optical and aural health professionals), and holders are not required to pay for prescription medicines and medical appliances as well.

Holders of this medical card make up 31.9% of the total population, and the subject of making medical cards available to all residents has been a hot topic among many politicians. For patients who do marginally better than this group of people, financial wise, GP visit card would be dispensed for free general practitioner visits. Elderly over 70 years old who are not on medical card or GP visit card can expect a cash grant of 400 pound every year.

One major problem with the public healthcare system in Ireland is long waiting times. Patients often have to put into the wait list even if they are dependent on timely operations. Study has shown that in 2007, up to 76% of patients were accepted by hospitals for same day operations, 11% were made to wait as long as one month, 4% waited up to three months, 1% within six months, and 4% had to wait longer than six months for alterations.

It is in this shortcoming that private healthcare providers have flourished. Frustrated with the long waiting list, more and more residents are turning to private hospital for immediate medical attention.

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