Letters to the Editor: Two-tier cancer care is inequitable

A doctor responds to 'Irish Examiner' Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin's recent articles about uninsured patients' lack of access to the latest cancer drugs

OECD research dating back to 2004 shows that private health insurance is the single largest contributor to inequity of access to healthcare. Picture: Courtneyk/iStock

Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin reports comments by oncologist Dr Michael McCarthy that he has been asking his patients at University Hospital Galway if they had private health insurance, as patients with such insurance can now immediately access new cancer drugs, while public patients may have to wait two years for this treatment — ‘Two-tier access to cancer meds’ (Irish Examiner, March 30). 

He was concerned about the development of a two-tier system in cancer care which in fact has been present for some time given a report by Irish Cancer Society head of services and advocacy Donal Buggy — 'ICS: Ireland now has two tier cancer care' (Irish Examiner, April 26, 2016).