Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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173. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which a person can avail of a medical card in instances in which they cannot secure acceptance by a GP to stamp their application form. [19719/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract with the HSE for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.

Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list.

Similarly, where a person applying for medical card has unsuccessfully applied to three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area), direct contact can be made to the HSE National Medical Card Unit who can assist in assigning that person to a GP's GMS patient list. Further information is available from the HSE website.