Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1725. To ask the Minister for Health the reason GPs are refusing to do blood tests requested for individuals supported by CAMHS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38216/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs undertake diagnostic testing, including blood testing, in accordance with the clinical requirements of their patients.

Under the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all 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". There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for blood tests.

Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services by his or her GP, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office. The local management, upon being notified of potential inappropriate charging of GMS patients, carry out an investigation into each complaint and will, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by the GP.

Fees charged by GPs outside the terms of the GMS contracts are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and their patients. The HSE does not have any role in relation to such fees.

The Department and the HSE are not aware of any complaints in relation to GPs refusing to carry out blood testing for individuals supported by CAMHS. As this is a service issue, I have referred this question to the Health Service Executive for their attention.