Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 178: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare with a medical card has to pay for a blood test each month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25980/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The vast majority of General Practitioners (GPs) providing services to General Medical Services (GMS) patients hold the GMS GP capitation contract. These contracts for service are with the Health Service Executive (HSE). In accordance with the contract the GP receives an annual fee from the HSE which is based on the number of patients on his/her GMS patient panel and the GP undertakes to provide all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP to these patients.

Accordingly, under this contract a GP should not demand or accept any payment or consideration for services provided by him/her, including blood tests, where they are indicated as part of a recognised treatment of an ongoing medical condition of a patient.

Under the Health Act 2004, the management and delivery of health and personal social services are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. This includes operational responsibility for GMS contracts between the Executive and participating GPs. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.