It is no secret that experiences with healthcare in Ireland are often met with significant challenges. Long waiting list times, affordability of private healthcare insurance, and gaps in service provision are just some of the countless challenges embedded in Irish healthcare. For women, these challenges are particularly felt, resulting in an absence of adequate women’s health services to meet the population’s demands. In 2022, RTÉ reported that over 30,000 women remained on waiting lists for gynecological services. Consequently, numerous healthcare scandals have disproportionately affected women, calling for improved access and quality of healthcare. These calls have resulted in some significant changes to health policy, but barriers to access and quality have made it clear that considerable improvements are needed to implement better healthcare for Irish women.Â
The Cervical Check Scandal that emerged in 2018 became one of the most notable healthcare scandals in Irish history. Failures in the national cervical cancer screening program resulted in women receiving incorrect smear test results, leading to a missed cancer diagnosis. Over 200 Irish women developed cancer as a result of incorrect results, resulting in a number of their deaths. The scandal was exposed by the late Vicky Phelan, who was one of the women affected by a missed diagnosis. The government later established a formal inquiry into the scandal and set up a compensation scheme. Immense damage had already been done, however, at the expense of some women’s lives. The scandal highlights failures in healthcare policies to deliver adequate services for women. The scandal led to increased calls for improvements to women’s health issues.
Healthcare for women has been met with improvements over the last number of years, with advancements in reproductive rights and improving expansion of access to services. One of the most notable advances for Irish women was the expansion of access to abortion services in 2019, following a public referendum. However, while the legalisation of abortion marked a significant step for Irish healthcare, significant systematic barriers remain including low numbers of service providers and cost-associated factors.Â
Issues surrounding healthcare are particularly felt for students, who face increased barriers to accessing healthcare services. Affordability and access to services remain at the core of these issues, often dependent on individualistic factors. Most Irish universities provide on-campus health services, including cost-reduced GP consultations, sexual health service provision, and mental health support services. These services, however, are often limited in terms of availability and an absence of health services for specific health needs. This reflects broader health issues in Ireland, such as the shortage of healthcare practitioners. Students are also disproportionately affected by gaps in mental health services. While colleges do provide free mental health support, they are often limited to a number of free sessions and affected by limited appointment availability to meet student population demands. This coincides with the status of public mental health services in Ireland, which is plagued with long waiting lists and geographic barriers.Â
Women’s healthcare in Ireland has experienced significant progress, particularly in areas such as reproductive rights and sexual health services; however, challenges remain. Looking towards the future, the government must continue to address these challenges by investing in timely, comprehensive, and accessible healthcare services for women. Expanding free GP care and improving mental health supports are just some of the many healthcare needs for students that must be addressed. By investing in women’s healthcare, Ireland’s health system has the potential to be transformed and meet the needs and fulfill the rights of all women.