asked the Minister for Health whether medical officers of dispensary districts are obliged to provide a mother and child service under Section 16 of the Health Act, 1953; further, if he will make a statement clarifying the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Act Service.
There is no obligation, by virtue of the Health Act, 1953, the Regulations made under it or otherwise, on district medical officers to enter into agreements with health authorities to provide medical care for eligible persons in respect of maternity or for infants under Section 16 and 17 of the Health Act, 1953. The Regulations made in connection with these services on 15th May last clearly contemplate that medical practitioners, whether district medical officers or private practitioners, shall be free to enter into the agreements or not as they think fit and, where a medical practitioner does enter into an agreement, he is free to withdraw from the agreement on giving the prescribed notice to the health authority.
When a medical practitioner enters into the agreement, he is obliged to ensure medical care under the sections mentioned for any eligible person whom he accepts as a patient. When, however, an eligible person fails to arrange for care from a medical practitioner who has entered into an agreement with the health authority, the district medical officer, as such, has the residual responsibility to provide the same measure of medical care for such person as he was obliged to provide before the 1st August last when the sections were commenced.
I hope that as many medical practitioners as possible, including district medical officers, will enter into agreements with health authorities so that eligible persons will have, as far as possible, a free choice of doctor but the choice by the doctor as to whether he will or will not enter into the agreement must be as free as the choice by the patient of her doctor from amongst those participating in the scheme.