Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 346: To ask the Minister for Health the amount of money that was paid to general practitioners for general medical services and medical card patients in 2011; if this will be reduced in 2012 and by how much; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40619/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Services (PCRS) is responsible for the payment of fees and allowances to GPs who are contracted by the HSE to provide services under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. Details of the total amount of fees and allowances paid to GPs under the GMS Scheme in 2011 will not be available to my Department until 2012.

In 2010, GPs were paid approximately €436 million in fees and allowances under the GMS Scheme. This compares with approximately €441 million in 2009. It should also be noted that the number of persons with a medical card or a GP visit card has greatly increased in recent years. Since the start of 2010, the number of medical card holders has increased by 216,098 to a total of 1,694,658 as at 1st November 2011. In the same period, the number of GP visit card holders increased by over 29,000 to 127,538.

Under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2009, an 8% reduction in a range of GP fees and allowances was introduced in 2009, which effected full year savings in the region of €34 million. Further reductions to a range of fees and allowances were introduced in 2010, which are expected to result in full year savings in the region of €44 million in 2011. Under FEMPI legislation, the Minister for Health is required to carry out a review of the operation, effectiveness and impact of the amounts and rates fixed under regulations each year. The 2011 review is currently being undertaken and the Minister for Health will shortly determine if any further changes to GP fees and allowances are required at this time.