Immigration and the Healthcare System
75% of HIV cases in Ireland are reported to be among migrants who arrived with the infection. While the rate of transmission within the resident Irish population has been declining, the prevalence of HIV within the migrant population has risen sharply since 2021.
At the same time, according to HSE data, almost 100% of asylum seekers receive a medical card, adding further pressure to what is arguably the most overstretched healthcare system in the history of the State.
HSE Scraps Insourcing Initiative - Up to 4,000 Extra Patients Per Month Could Hit Waiting Lists
Up to 4,000 additional patients per month could be placed on regional waiting lists after the Health Service Executive scrapped a key initiative aimed at improving access to healthcare, an internal HSE report has warned.
Insourcing - where private companies are paid to use HSE staff and equipment after hours to hold special clinics for patients on waiting lists - was abolished from July 2026 due to concerns around governance, value for money and perverse incentives.
Nearly 85,000 Patients on Waiting Lists Across Cork Hospitals
CORK - Almost 85,000 people were waiting for treatment across Cork's six hospitals in June, new figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund have revealed.
The total of 84,041 marks only a marginal decrease from 84,063 in May, with the crisis showing little sign of easing.
HSE Halts Medical Card Issuance After Cyberattack on External Provider
HSE Halts Medical Card Issuance After Cyberattack on External Provider
The Health Service Executive has suspended the issuing of medical cards and several related health documents following a cyberattack on an external card-printing contractor.
Dr Muhammad Waqas Rabbani Found Guilty of 'Systematically' Defrauding HSE Medical Card Scheme
Dr Muhammad Waqas Rabbani Found Guilty of 'Systematically' Defrauding HSE Medical Card Scheme
A doctor has been found guilty of "systematically" defrauding the Health Service Executive through its medical card payment scheme after a two-week trial at Carlow Circuit Court.