Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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385. To ask the Minister for Health the way the proposal to have free general practitioner care for over 70s can be made available to all if only those whose doctor is a public sector GP can avail of the scheme; and the reason he is reluctant to have a system akin to the drug payment scheme, which covers people for any GP. [35754/14]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Government is committed to the introduction of a universal GP service for the entire population in line with the Programme for Government. The Health (General Practitioner Service) Act 2014, which provides an entitlement for all children aged under 6 to a GP service without fees, was passed by the Oireachtas in July 2014.

The Government will prioritise the over 70’s in the next phase of the roll-out of free access to GP care. The Government has approved the drafting of a Bill to provide a GP service without fees for all persons aged 70 years and over. Drafting of the Bill has commenced and is the subject on ongoing interaction between the Department and the Attorney-General’s Office. The expectation is that the Health (General Practitioner Service) (No. 2) Bill 2014 will be published shortly. The aim is to have the over 70’s phase implemented this year or early next year, subject to the conclusion of discussions between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO. The estimated cost is €18 million for 2015.

Under the existing medical card and GP visit card contracts, it is open to GPs to choose to participate or not in those schemes. The position in respect of choice of GP for the free GP care for over 70's scheme will be clarified when the requisite legislation and contractual arrangements are in place. Currently, if a GP does not hold the appropriate GMS contract, a patient may obtain a list of contract holders from their local HSE office. If the patient has had three unsuccessful attempts to secure a GMS doctor who will register them on his/her panel, the patient should contact the HSE, providing details of the doctors they have contacted, and the HSE will assign them to a GMS doctor within the locality.

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