ICGP: Health budget could cause 'significant distress'

Several aspects of yesterday's health budget could cause "significant distress to the most vulnerable patients", the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) warned today.

The College also stated that the Budget was a "retrograde step" in progress towards universal health care, "if one population group is to benefit at the expense of another".

ICGP called on Government to provide details of the reports or data that the Department of Health used to measure the health outcomes and benefits that universal medical cover for children aged five and under would deliver, and how that compares with the impact of withdrawing medical cover from the over 70s.

"Providing universal GP cover for all children aged five and under may seem laudable and a step towards universal cover," said Kieran Ryan, CEO of the ICGP.

"However, the other action of withdrawing an estimated 35,000 medical cards from the over 70s is contrary to the expansion of universal health cover.

"It is, in effect, a withdrawal of cover from a group in our population who already have universal medical cover."

Dr Darach O’Ciardha, ICGP spokesperson, said: "The Minister of Health has missed opportunities in Budget 2014 to champion the cause for a healthy nation.

"He has opted not to introduce measures to combat the sale of cheap alcohol, opting instead for only a nominal increase in the price of alcohol.

"Ignored the ticking time-bomb that is rising obesity levels and, when we know that the evidence for the beneficial effects of exercise is incontrovertible, allocated no more than 0.03% of what is being spent on the overall health budget to the funding of sport in Ireland."