THE LACK of Government action on issues around health inequality is of serious concern, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) said yesterday.
Spokesman Stuart Kenny made his comments yesterday following the publication of a report showing that up to 5,400 premature deaths could be avoided each year if policymakers took a more robust approach to tackling social deprivation and health inequality.
He said the society's experience over the years would reflect the findings of the new report from the Institute of Public Health and the Combat Poverty Agency.
The report, Tackling Health Inequalities - An All-Ireland Approach to Social Determinants, said poor housing, nutrition and education are to blame for high levels of ill health and early deaths among poor and socially excluded groups.
"It's an issue we have raised for some time back with Government and we have been making the case for access to health services on the basis of need as distinct from affordability," Mr Kenny said.
"It's of serious concern that it's not been taken on board . . . that whole question of access to health services will remain a serious plank of our pre-budget submission this year," he added.
Mr Kenny said the society knows of mothers who have forgone health services themselves so they can afford certain things for their children.
And in terms of the impact of the knock-on effect of social disadvantage, he said children going to school hungry couldn't concentrate in class, and their ability to get a good education and good job were thereby hindered.
Fine Gael's deputy health spokesman Dan Neville said the new report showed that after 11 years of a Fianna Fáil/PD Government, health services were failing the most vulnerable, most deprived people.
"This is because major reforms, like the health strategy or the primary care strategy, are announced with great fanfare by the Government but seldom implemented," he said.
Labour's Seanad spokeswoman on social and family affairs Phil Prendergast said the report required immediate action.
"This report is a shameful reflection on how poverty is inextricably linked to poorer health and is a clear indication that the state of your health is a function to a very large extent, of how much you can afford to pay for it," she said.
The report said there were strong arguments from an equity perspective for universal access to primary care in Ireland in the longer term - and in the shorter term for increasing medical card coverage.
The Department of Health, in a statement, said the qualifying guidelines for medical cards have increased by 29 per cent since 2005 and the number of people with medical cards has also been increasing and now stands at 1.3 million. It also said the Department is currently reviewing all legislation relating to eligibility for health and personal social services with a view to making the system as fair and transparent as possible.
"As part of this exercise, a review of the eligibility criteria for medical cards in the context of financial, medical and social need is in progress and is expected to be completed by the autumn. The Combat Poverty Agency has contributed to the review. When that review is completed the Minister will consider how best to progress the commitments," it added.