Medical card claims backed by charity

A third patient group has warned cutbacks are making it increasingly difficult for seriously ill people to access discretionary medical cards — despite the HSE claiming its policy has not changed.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, the Jack and Jill Foundation mirrored concerns raised by the Irish Cancer Society and motor neuron disease experts, saying patients who should receive the help are being turned away.

The group’s liaison nurse manager, Sinéad Moran, said discretionary medical cards — which are provided to patients whose income is above regular, medical card thresholds — were in previous years generally available to people facing the most serious illnesses.