Written answers

Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Department of Health

General Medical Services Scheme Payments

Photo of Michelle MulherinMichelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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495. To ask the Minister for Health to set out the medical tests and examinations that are not covered by the medical card scheme for which a general practitioner is entitled to charge a fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14694/14]

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Paragraph 11 of the General Medical Services (GMS) contract outlines the duties and obligations of the General Practitioner (GP) and the services to be provided by him/her. The key determinant of what is comprehended relates to whether the service/treatment is considered to be "proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess".

Paragraph 27 of the contract states "the medical practitioner shall not demand or accept any payment....in reward for services provided by him under this contract ". It should also be noted that the contract stipulates that fees are not paid to GPs by the HSE in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences".

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