‘Children will die’ before law is changed

Seriously ill children who have already lost their discretionary medical cards will die before the law is changed to help them, a leading charity has claimed.

The Jack and Jill Foundation issued the warning after it emerged the Government’s suspension of discretionary medical card reviews will not include people who have lost the support.

Speaking in separate forums yesterday, junior minister for primary care, Alex White, and the HSE’s National Director of Primary Care, John Hennessy, both said plans for an expert group to examine the crisis will be confined to people whose cards are “currently” being reviewed.