Half of motor neurone patients denied cards

Half of motor neurone disease patients in need of discretionary medical cards are seeing their applications turned down by the HSE, a top clinician has said.

Professor Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist at Beaumont Hospital, told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Sean O’Rourke programme, that three months after she wrote to newspapers raising her concerns over the growing difficulty in accessing cards, little has changed.

Despite Health Minister James Reilly and HSE director designate Tony O’Brien insisting patients are being treated the same as in previous years, Prof Hardiman said this is not the case.