Written answers

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Department of Health

General Medical Services Scheme Payments

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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159. To ask the Minister for Health to set out the position regarding blood tests (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18994/15]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Persons covered by the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme should not be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP, or the Practice Nurse on behalf of the GP, which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of a patient or to monitor a diagnosed condition. Furthermore, a GP is precluded from demanding or accepting payments, other than payments from the HSE as provided for under his/her contract, for services covered by the GMS contract, such as issuing a letter of referral to another service/clinician.

I have been advised by the HSE that its Local Health Offices will fully investigate any reported incidents of eligible patients being charged for phlebotomy services which form part of the investigation and necessary treatment of patients' symptoms or conditions.

A Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2015 commits the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO to substantive negotiations on a new comprehensive GP contract commencing no later than 31 March 2015 with a view to concluding within 12 months. These discussions have commenced and the appropriate arrangements in relation to phlebotomy services will be considered in this context.

Consultation fees charged by general practitioners outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and the patients. While I have no role in relation to such fees, I would expect clinicians to have regard to the overall economic situation in setting their fees.

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