If you need help with personal care or domestic tasks at home, there are a number of Irish home health care services available. These include home nursing and dementia assistance.
All residents of Ireland receive free public healthcare through the HSE. Those who hold a medical card are entitled to receive all GP visits, subsidised prescription drugs and free or subsidised community services such as social work and maternity care.
Public health care system
The public health care system in Ireland is regulated by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Services include GP services, public health nurses, social work and child protection services, community welfare, disability services, older people services, chiropody, ophthalmic, and speech therapy.
A Medical Card provides free access to a wide range of HSE services. If you don’t have a Medical Card, there are other schemes available to help you get the medical care you need.
Waiting times for medical treatment in public hospitals are often long, so many Irish people prefer to take out private healthcare insurance policies. This is particularly true of patients who have to travel abroad for treatment.
Maternity care
Maternity care in Ireland is funded by a mix of public finance and private health insurance. Women who give birth in hospital receive free public maternity care that is provided by a team of obstetricians and midwives.
However, if you choose to give birth in the home you can do so under an HSE-funded national home health care service which involves the services of self-employed community midwives (SECM). This is a great way to experience pregnancy, labour and birth in a safe environment with support and support from a team of qualified professionals.
Birth registration
The birth registration system in Ireland started in 1864 and records relating to births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths are now kept by the General Register Office (GRO). These are public records and anyone can access them or apply for them.
Despite this, many Irish births go unregistered. This is particularly the case in rural areas of counties Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo.
Family historians who are tracing their Irish ancestry often need to look at local records and archives as well as national sources. This includes the GRO’s Irish civil registration records which are now available online, as well as parish registers and church records.
If you think that your ancestor’s birth was registered in Ireland, try to find a copy of the register from the General Register Office. This will give you the date and place of the event and could help you with your research.
Specialist care
Specialised services support people with a wide range of rare and complex conditions. They can deliver cutting-edge treatments to improve your quality of life.
There are many different specialists (known as ‘consultants’ in Ireland) who work across the country, some in hospitals and others in primary care. You need a referral from your GP before you can see a specialist, which can take time.
General practitioners (GPs) provide the majority of health care in Ireland, either as sole traders or in local health centres with other GPs and sometimes nurses. Most GPs charge a per-consultation fee, which can vary from region to region.
Ambulance service
The ambulance service is a statutory public service that provides emergency ‘999/112’ and urgent transport for people in need. It is run by the National Ambulance Service (NAS).
Paramedics are regulated by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and are educated to diploma level. They provide intermediate life support as part of a two-paramedic crew responding to all emergency medical incidents. Advanced paramedics receive additional education to post graduate diploma level and provide advanced life support as solo responders or part of an ALS ambulance response.
The ambulance service is undergoing many transformations, including eHealth and community-delivered care and services integration. These are embraced by the Slaintecare movement and have led to changes in the way that ambulance services are run.