Vol. 562 No. 1
379 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the arrangement he is making to ensure patients have access to their doctor of choice in the case of a general practitioner who is contracted only to service GMS patients who are over 70 and whose patients want to stay with that doctor when they qualify for a medical card but have not reached the age of 70; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5319/03]
The agreement between my Department and the Irish Medical Organisation in relation to the implementation of automatic medical card eligibility for persons aged 70 and over, included a once-off entry provision for doctors to the GMS scheme. This element of the agreement gave right of entry to any suitably qualified and trained GP to continue to care for any of their patients who acquired their medical card under the new eligibility provision. This right of entry is limited for a period of five years after which the GP is free to accept any medical card patient nominating him or her as their doctor of choice. The limitation is reduced to two years in the case of a GP who is in a partnership on the date he-she acquires limited entry if he-she continues in that partnership for the two year period.
During the term of limited access to a GP's panel, any of his or her patients under 70 years of age qualifying for a medical card have the option of either choosing an alternative GMS GP, or remaining with their existing GP as a private patient until the limited entry term has expired. I have no plans to alter the terms of this agreement.
