As nurses at Mullingar's Midland Regional Hospital prepare to protest over emergency room overcrowding at lunchtime today, the latest Euro Health Consumer Index reveals that Ireland has dropped eight places on an international ranking of health services.
This year Index researchers ignored the official data and worked instead with information supplied by patient organisations, after deciding the figures provided on waiting lists had "lost credibility".
Ireland dropped from 14th place last year to 22nd on the list, with patient empowerment rated on a par with Romania.
Dr Arne Bjornberg, head researcher of the Euro Health Consumer Index, commented: “Ireland has no longer a total ban on abortion, which is an improvement, but abortion still requires approval by people who are frequently [men aged] 50+ ... This is a far cry from abortion being a woman’s right,”
