Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Health if a medical card holder who has a blood test carried out by a general practitioner is covered under the medical card; if so, the reason some general practitioners are charging a fee for this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24257/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold medical cards or GP visit cards 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. In many GP surgeries, it is the practice nurse who takes blood samples. The HSE significantly subsidises the cost of employing practice nurses.

The HSE has written to GPs pointing out their obligations under their contract in this regard. I would invite patients to follow up with the HSE if they believe they are being wrongly charged. Formal complaints will be dealt with through the HSE's Consumer Affairs Service.