Dr Hilary Jones - Ireland has no health service

[LadyEloise]

I'm cross. I'm very cross !
How can an educated man, a medic, state that the country next to his has no health service on national television.
A country that shares a border with the UK ( Northern Ireland ).
In reply to Piers Morgan about countries using different strategies to cope with the pandemic, Dr Hilary Jones says that Ireland has to do what its doing because it has no health service.

That is simply not true.

We have the Health Service Executive, with about 100,000 employed in it. Much of it is free. GP visits and prescription charges are means tested. All children under 6 and pensioners over 70 have free HP care.
He did apologise on Twitter but I think, to reach a wider audience he needs to go back on the show and state the facts.
Our Prime Minister is a medical doctor.
We have a national health service. There is a free Breast Check, Cervical check,Immunisations for children and teenagers, Bowel screening etc.

What a shame neither of the two presenters , Piers or Susanna Reid could refute his claims at the time.

It could be financial reassurance as well. People are terrified and money too. He could be about to announce that renters get two months off and landlords apply to govt

I think we need a bit of positivity - I know it is hard to find just now. I go to our local very dull park most days - it has gym equipment for outdoor exercise and a playground which is popular. I suppose things like that should close.

Private rent is a massive worry, and there are a lot of social issues with cracks to be repaired going forward. Do we trust Leo because he's a doctor?

I know several people born in the north but working in the south or married to someone / living just over the border. They are still registered with doctors and dentists in the north , using their parents adress. They come up to visit the dentist and doctor when required .

I didn't realise how privatised many of the services in Ireland are and that you have to pay.

I wonder if that results in better services or not, or more control over how your money is spent rather than taxed at source.

I do find stuff like this fascinating

The Irish teacher was totally taking the piss. Can’t believe anyone would be daft enough not to realise. Bet he had a lot of fun in the staff room .

British people have a completely warped view of what a state funded healthcare service (and healthcare in general) should be like. If you think his comments are infuriating, try living here and being surrounded by these ignorant yokes all day every day.

That teacher was absolutely taking the piss. I used to tell people my father would cycle a bike to power the radio to hear what the internet was saying when I lived in England.

I much prefer the health system in Ireland, maternity services seem much better and I usually get to see a gp the day I ring for an appointment.

Property tax isn’t that much though... think ours was just over 100 for the year!!
I don’t pay for waste services monthly either, we;
-compost,

• have food waste bin. (That we empty into bags and bring to the general waste)

-Then I separate up the glass, cans and cardboard which are free to recycle. -so I only pay for random general waste and the non compostable food waste (about €10 every 6 weeks at the centre)

• I actually get rid of a lot of stuff when I do my shopping, I shop at lidl and leave all of the plastic, card and general behind I. The bins provided that they then get rid of!
• no gas bill, only electricity

Child benefit is so much higher, I tried to ringfence some for GP visits. I got about 400 euros a month for three kids which paid for back to school, GP visits and the orthodontist for one of them. She had long, complicated treatment with great results; her cousin had nhs treatment which isn't great.

As for gp visits I get 2 free visits through my insurance per person and 50% of subsequent visits back. I have routine dental cover too. We don’t go to the gp that often to be fair. My dc are 4 and 7 so the youngest is still free. Over here if something is wrong we tend to go to the pharmacist first,I find them AMAZINGLY helpful. They will tell me if they have any non prescribed medication options or whether I need to visit the gp.

Child benefit is 140e per child per month not means tested

Yes child benefit is 140 PER child.

NOT means tested

@Stickybeaksid x post

He said it's largely a private service and you pay your GP every time you see them.

This is pretty much true. As another pp said, only the really poor don't pay along with many of those on benefits. However for the majority of people, including those on very low wages, NMW workers etc do have to pay for GP visits, approx €50 a visit. We also have to pay I think it is an €80 per day for hospital stays.

In some areas, you'd almost need to pay to go private or wait years to be seen on the public system. Many people are utilising the 'Cross Border Directive', a scheme whereby the HSE will pay for you to have treatments and operations in other EU simply because the public system can't cope.

So yes, on paper there is a public health system. However the majority of people do need to pay for it and many people have private healthcare, at least those who can afford it.

*other EU countries

With corona virus nobody will get preferential treatment. If the system can pull through this (please God), maybe it is time for change.

I have to pay €50 per GP visit. They don't take kindly to being consulted re. more than 1 ailment per visit. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get a GP appointment quickly. Private health insurance costs me €145 p.m. It has increased by €30 p.m. over 3 years. It generally costs €230 to see a consultant per visit. I had to pay €150 for an ultrasound, as private health insurance companies do not cover the cost of these. The cost to me of dealing with 1 medical problem I had last year came to nearly €500, and that was with private health insurance, which only paid for a half body MRI scan that cost €150. The first thing hospitals ask when you're admitted is for your private health insurance details, so that they can charge said insurance company up to €800 per day. Private health insurance basically enables you to jump the queue, as quoted by the private health insurance company I am covered with.

I remember years ago dd2 had a bone problem. We had a public xray the day after i saw the Gp with her, and decided to pay to see a consultant privately. That took months as it was winter, and lots of people (my boss included) were fracturing things. It was not expensive - I think if you pay yourself the fee is less than insurance companies are billed. As the bone needed a few years to grow, she went back on the public list and had surgery. I don't think it is possible to move between systems now?

I don't think it is possible to move between systems now? Unfortunately you can, DM was giving a 3 year wait for the pain management clinic, after a couple of private visits to the powerful pain consultant she got in. It is unfair but for €600 your going to do it.

I wish someone told me that there was no health service in Ireland, I have been turning up for work in it every day for the last 13 years!

When the same daughter had wisdom teeth extraction we went private as it was leaving cert year, but she wasn't supposed to have a bed in the day ward, but a nurse put her in one. Payment was really complicated for that. If they ever sorted out a free at time of treatment set up lots of people who take money, and the revenue staff who refund it, would be out of work!

Also we have no school dinners, done secondary schools have canteens etc but not in primary school. Packed lunch all the way...

*Some not done