Health inequality puts lives of rural dwellers and poor at risk, report finds

THE Irish health service discriminates against people in rural areas and those on a lower income, who are twice as likely to die from cancer, almost four times more likely to die in road accidents and three times more likely to commit suicide, a new report has found.

The Public Health Alliance for the Island of Ireland (PHAII) said a two-tier health system has developed both north and south of the Border, despite having different systems of care.

“In the Republic of Ireland, the health system is fundamentally unequal, allowing those who can afford private care to get more rapid access to a better service. In Northern Ireland, there is universal free access to health services. There are, however, common problems across the health services,” it said.