Local TD Denis Naughten last week met with the senior management within the HSE responsible for the processing of medical cards where he highlighted the fact that the current delays are unacceptable and need to be addressed immediately.

“While the HSE claimed that they are now on top of the situation, they failed to provide any detailed data to support this claim,” stated Denis Naughten. “They did, however, admit that a decision has yet to be made on over 31,000 applications, with close to 2,000 still awaiting a final decision since last July.
“It is also a fact that the HSE have mislaid applications and documentation submitted by applicants and this is leading to a situation where people are being informed that their application has been withdrawn, even though all of the information is already with the HSE.

“On a positive note, the HSE has now given local GPs approval to extend a medical card for up to four months while a decision is being made on the renewal of a patient’s medical card,” concluded Denis Naughten.