Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I thank Deputy Hannigan for raising this matter. I know it is an issue he has been concerned about for some time and he first raised it with me shortly after being elected to this House. I am glad to have the opportunity to provide clarification on the matter. A number of other Deputies have raised it in parliamentary questions also, so it is important we get this clarification.

Under the General Medical Services contract, a general practitioner is expected to provide his or her patients who hold a medical card or a GP visit card with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP. Where blood tests form part of the investigation and necessary treatment of patients' symptoms or conditions, these should be provided free of charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.

The HSE also points out that in many GP surgeries it is the practice nurse who takes blood samples. The HSE significantly subsidises the cost of employing practice nurses. In fact, last year the executive provided €39 million in allowances to GMS GPs in this regard.

There are almost 2,300 GPs contracted by the HSE to provide GP services under the GMS scheme to more than 1.6 million medical card holders and 120,000 GP visit card holders. As Deputy Hannigan pointed out, GPs within the GMS receive payments up to approximately €500 million in this regard. The HSE has recently reported to my Department that it has received approximately 30 formal complaints from GMS patients regarding GPs charging for blood tests and there have also been a significant number of queries to the HSE's national information line about this issue. Formal complaints will be dealt with through the HSE's consumer affairs service.

The GMS contract prohibits GPs seeking or accepting payment from patients for the provision of services under the contract. I am disappointed that a minority of GPs have disregarded this provision and have chosen to charge patients whom the State has deemed to be unable to meet the cost of medical services. As Deputy Hannigan said, these are the most vulnerable people. At my request, the HSE has recently written to all GMS GPs reminding them of their obligations under their contract. I will be monitoring the situation closely to ensure this unacceptable practice is brought to an end. In the meantime, public patients should contact the HSE if they believe they are being wrongly charged for services by their GP and the matter will be appropriately investigated.

I appreciate that because of the nature of the GP-patient relationship, it may be difficult for patients to make such complaints. Where public representatives are made aware of GPs charging GMS patients for blood tests, they may wish to notify the HSE directly.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I assure him of my determination to address the issue and bring an end to this practice.

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