asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of the area under the jurisdiction of the Midland Health Board the estimated annual cost of general practitioner services in the event of the latest offer to the medical profession being accepted.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Midland Health Board Region.
6.
The proposed choice of doctor scheme will be different in organisation from the present dispensary service. The great majority of general practitioners will be eligible to participate and medicines will be supplied through the retail pharmacists. While it has been possible to make estimates of the cost of the new scheme on the broad national basis it would, in the circumstances, be difficult realistically to estimate the cost implications in a particular part of the country. I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Deputy Michael O'Leary on Tuesday last in which I dealt with the overall cost of the scheme.