Doctors say cutbacks are putting lives at risk

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has been urged to ensure health service cutbacks are halted, after a leading doctors’ group warned the "alarming" funding drain is putting patients’ lives at risk.

The Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association issued the call to the new health minister at its 2015 pre-budget submission launch.

Speaking at the publication of the document, IHCA president, Dr Ger Crotty, said there is a “pressing need” to halt cuts to hospital and mental health service funds as patients are being “adversely affected” by “increased delays and growing waiting lists”.