Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the nature of the contract which exists with general practitioners; the payment they receive per medical card holder and per doctor-only medical card holder; the financial assistance they receive for secretarial services and nursing services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22957/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Doctors holding contracts under the general medical services, GMS, scheme with the Health Service Executive are remunerated on the basis of the composition of their patient panel. The annual capitation rates payable reflect the age, gender and location of the patient and the agreed outcome of industrial relations negotiations since the inception of the scheme, between the Department of Health and Children and the Irish Medical Organisation, the representative body of the doctors concerned. A detailed list of the current rates payable is set out in the table.

A capitation rate of €495.07 per annum is paid to GPs for the provision of service under the GMS contract for each person who qualifies for a medical card for the first time on the basis of being aged 70 years and over in the community. In respect of medical card holders aged 70 years and over who are resident in a private nursing home, approved by the Health Service Executive, for any continuous period of five weeks, the GP is paid a capitation rate of €717.48 per annum per card holder.

Under the terms of the GMS, GP contract allowances are also payable to GMS doctors in respect of leave — sick, maternity, paternity, annual, study, locum, palliative care, special items of service, out of hours payments, medical indemnity, rural practice, rostering and training practices. Payments are also made in respect of superannuation. GMS GPs also receive once off registration payments in respect of their non-EU national patients. Under the terms of the recent Labour Relations Commission recommendation, GPs holding GMS contracts providing services to GP visit card holders would receive a once off payment of €35 for each of the first 200,000 patients admitted under this scheme.

GMS GPs may also apply for allowances in respect of the employment of practice nurses, secretaries and managers. These allowances are based on their patient panel composition and the experience and conditions of employment of the staff involved. The maximum grant in respect of a practice nurse is currently €31,262.43 and for a practice secretary up to a maximum of €19,894.27.

Doctors who participate in the indicative drugs target savings scheme have also been able to access savings made under the scheme to fund HSE approved practice development projects. Between January 1993, the introduction of the scheme, and 31 August 2004, in excess of €90 million has been paid nationally under this scheme to participating doctors.