New cuts in healthcare and carers' benefit funding

THE government's new 'reform' plan for the economy includes cutting funds in care for the elderly and disabled by just over 1.1 billion and in healthcare by 700 million.

They say benefits to carers will increase gradually by five per cent over three years as a result of the cuts, and that it needs to adjust the investment made into the scheme to match the 'reality' of dependent persons and those who look after them.

As for healthcare, with last year's eight-per-cent cuts, the total reduction in public spending in this area will have gone down by 3.3 billion by the end of 2013.

The PP government says it intends to 're-order' health services by 'optimising 13 medical specialist areas' and creating a new 'catalogue of surgical implants'.

It adds that this year the department will save 175 million euros through prescription fee contributions and non-urgent ambulance services being paid for by the users.

Prescription charges being applied on a scale depending upon the patient's income have also saved the health service 1.6 billion, says Spain's president Mariano Rajoy.