Child Health Care in Ireland.
The Irish health care system is based on a complex and costly mix of private, statutory, and voluntary provisions. The majority of health care expenditure comes from the state, with a significant proportion of acute hospital care funded from private insurance, but there are relatively high out-of-pocket costs for most service users. There is free access to acute hospital care, but not for primary care, for all children. About 40% of the population have free access to primary care. Universal preventive public health services, including vaccination and immunization, newborn blood spot screening, and universal neonatal hearing screening are free. Major health challenges include poverty, obesity, drug and alcohol use, and mental health. The health care system has been dominated for the last 5 years by the impact of the current recession, which has led to very sharp cuts in health care expenditure. It is unclear if the necessary substantial reform of the system will happen. Government policy calls for a move toward a patient-centered, primary care-led system, but without very substantial transfers of resources and investment in Information and Communication Technology, this is unlikely to occur.
School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Anthony
A
Staines
Institute of Public Health in Ireland, Ireland.
Kevin P
KP
Balanda
Institute of Public Health in Ireland, Ireland.
Steve
S
Barron
School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Yvonne
Y
Corcoran
Institute of Public Health in Ireland, Ireland.
Lorraine
L
Fahy
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Louise
L
Gallagher
Department of Public Health (MidWest), Health and Well-Being Division, Health Service Executive, Ireland.
Tessa
T
Greally
School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Jean
J
Kilroe
Department of Public Health (NorthWest), Health and Well-Being Division, Health Service Executive, Ireland.
Caroline Mason
CM
Mohan
School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Anne
A
Matthews
Health Intelligence, Health and Well-Being Directorate, Health Service Executive, Ireland.
Elyce
E
McGovern
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Children's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Alf
A
Nicholson
School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Anne
A
O'Farrell
University Hospital Limerick, Ireland.
Roy K
RK
Philip
University of Leeds School of Dentistry, Cork Dental School and Hospital, University College Cork, Ireland.
Helen
H
Whelton
D002648:Child; D000067576:Child Health; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland