Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if general practitioners are entitled to charge a fee for out of hours calls for patients with medical cards or GP only medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6382/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme contract, general practitioners (GPs) are obliged to provide services for their medical card and GP visit card patients, for 40 hours each week. They must also make arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum/deputy, for urgent attention outside of these hours. GPs are not entitled to demand or accept any payment or consideration from medical card and GP visit card patients, in reward for services provided under the contract. This includes out of hours consultations.

If the Health Service Executive is made aware of specific cases where GMS patients are being charged by GP contractors for services provided under the GMS contract, it will arrange to have such cases investigated as appropriate.