The Government has ordered the suspension of the ongoing mass review of medical cards.

The review has been suspended while a new framework for awarding medical cards is drawn up, which will for the first time take account of a person’s medical condition.

Up to now, medical cards are awarded on the basis of financial means, although the HSE may exercise discretion where an applicant has major medical needs.

Minister of State at the Department of Health Alex White announced the U-turn in the Dáil today during a debate on the Bill to extend free GP care to children aged under six. The Cabinet sub-committee on health, which met this morning, ordered the change of policy following weeks of sustained criticism over the removal of discretionary cards from patients.

Mr White said the Government was very aware of public concern on the issue. As a result, the Cabinet sub-committee had decided that a policy framework should be drawn up in a manner in which medical conditions were taken account of in the assessment of eligibility for a medical card.

An expert panel will be convened to decide on the range of conditions which would be relevant in this regard, he said. It is likely the move will require legislation before it can come into force.

Mr White said that in the light of this, it had been decided that the current review of medical cards be suspended. The Department of Health is to draw up a policy paper setting out the path toward full rollout of free GP care for all and the Minister for Health would bring a memo to Government on the issue, he said.

Mr White pointed out that there are significant regional variations in the award of discretionary medical cards, from 24 per 1,000 cards in Co Cork to 4 per 1,000 in Co Meath.

Backbench Fine Gael TDs, who raised the issue at a parliamentary party meeting a month ago, welcomed the change in policy even before Mr White stood up in the Dáil to announce it.

The ongoing mass review of medical cards provoked huge controversy after a series of hardship cases emerged in which extremely sick children and adults were refused a medical card or had a card removed.

The issue is believed to have played a significant role in the Government parties’ disastrous performance in last week’s European and local elections, with 57 per cent of the electorate telling one exit poll it was the main issue which determined their vote.

Responding to criticism of his stance on the issue, Taoiseach Enda Kenny had pledged to “fix” the problem in relation to discretionary medical cards.

Any decision to restrict the HSE’s programme of reviewing medical cards will limit its ability to make the savings required of the health service in last month’s Budget. By the end of March, the HSE was already running €80 million over budget.