Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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132. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has any responsibility for the monitoring of medical card patients' access to appointments in private GP facilities; specifically, if there is a practice of longer waiting times for patients in primary care on medical cards as opposed to for those paying full fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16796/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract with the HSE for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Medical card and GP visit card holders are registered onto the panel of the GMS GP that provides their GP care. In accordance with the GMS contract, GMS GPs must ensure there is no discrimination or differentiation between the treatment of medical card or GP visit card holders and private patients within the practice.

Where a medical card or GP visit card holder attends a GP practice in a private capacity, this is a private matter between the patient and GP concerned. Neither the Department of Health nor the HSE has a role in monitoring medical card or GP visit card holder access to GP services that are provided in a private capacity.