The Anton Savage Show Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Oct 18, 2025
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Ireland's Minister for Health, tackles critical health policy issues. She discusses the ongoing delays of the National Children’s Hospital, citing contractor failures as a key reason. Carroll MacNeill introduces the new national endometriosis framework, emphasizing women's voices in care. She also highlights efforts to improve GP pathways and recruit needed staff within the HSE. The conversation touches on challenges in surgeon training and the importance of clear contracts for future projects.
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Adopt Presumptive Diagnosis For Endometriosis
- Do treat women's reports of pelvic pain seriously by adopting a presumptive diagnosis approach for endometriosis.
- This speeds referral and prioritises patient-reported symptoms over lengthy diagnostic denial.
Patients Travel Abroad For Effective Surgery
- Insight: Many women leave Ireland for effective endometriosis surgery after local procedures fail.
- Building specialist centres and improving surgical standards can reduce medical travel and improve outcomes.
Fast-Track Endometriosis From The GP Level
- Do equip GPs to spot endometriosis early and fast-track patients along severity-based clinical pathways.
- Send clear guidance to every GP and develop expedited referral routes to specialist centres.