MORE THAN 33,000 extra medical cards were handed out in the first three months of this year. An additional 2,627 doctor-only cards were also granted.
The latest figures published by the Health Service Executive yesterday reflect the growing numbers of people out of work who are qualifying for some degree of free medical care.
The State unemployment rate stands at 14.8 per cent.
In its latest performance report for the first quarter of 2011, the HSE puts the numbers of people covered by medical cards at 1.64 million, up from 1.51 million or by 8.5 per cent since this time last year. A further 120,000 people were covered by GP-visit cards at the end of March.
Meanwhile, the total number of discretionary medical cards in the system at the end of the first quarter was 79,667, more than 100 fewer than at the same time last year.
These cards are issued on a discretionary rather than income basis, often on the basis that the person is terminally ill. Minister for Health James Reilly has stressed he wants them to continue to be issued in special cases.
The Irish Hospice Foundation said yesterday people with advanced incurable illness should automatically be entitled to a medical card. Chief executive Sharon Foley said a study conducted by hospice and palliative care social workers across nine counties in 2009-2010 found that processing requests for medical cards varied from one day to 85 days. As a result 13 per cent of patients died before the process was complete.
Meanwhile the HSE’s latest performance report also indicates €48.6 million was spent on agency staff in the first quarter, which is higher than over the same period last year.
More than €14.5 million was spent on agency doctors – partly as a result of the shortage of junior doctors – and €21 million was spent on agency nurses. A further €13 million was spent on agency care assistants and porters.
New agreements which saw the cutting of rates of pay to agency staff, who may also be taken on when vacancies cannot be filled due to the embargo on recruitment, are expected to reduce these figures later in the year.
Overall the HSE was €117 million over budget at the end of March. Hospital deficits accounted for €74 million of this. Dr Reilly said budgets were under pressure but efforts would be made to maintain services.