Here is a snapshot of findings:
- 71% of our respondents deemed access to GP services as essential to enable them to remain well
- 63% thought access to medicines under the medical card were essential
- 64% thought that the medial card was critical in access in therapy services in the community
- 68% of respondents thought the medical card was critical in accessing specialist equipment e.g. walking aids, wheelchairs, continence equipment etc.
- 56% of respondents thought that access to hospital services for in-patient treatment was important
- 70% of respondents said that the medical card was critical in sourcing affordable respite
From these figures we can see that changes to the medical card application process over the past year have greatly affected people with MS.
It is no surprise that the majority of survey respondents felt that a medical card was vital to accessing services and aids and appliances considering the detrimental cuts to funding for such services in the past few years.
We will continue to advocate for people with MS around access to medical cards and will provide updates regarding this progress soon.