asked the Minister for Health when it is expected that the choice of doctor scheme will be available in the various health board areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Choice of Doctor Scheme.
3.
It is intended that the scheme will come into operation on 1st April next in the Eastern Health Board area. Since it will be an exceedingly complex scheme to operate, it would clearly be imprudent to extend it to other health board areas until the various administrative procedures, including the processing of claims by computer, have been shown to be operating satisfactorily. However, I would expect that it will be possible to bring the remaining health board areas into the scheme in the latter half of next year.
Would the Minister explain if, in fact, what he means is that there is a doubt about it being possible to extend it to the other areas because, if it is intended to extend it to the other areas, surely the people who live in the other areas are as important as those who live around Dublin?
It is intended to extend it to the other areas on or about 1st October.
Why not 1st April, which was the promise given?
Oh, no. I never made a promise. I had to examine the scheme and take into account the working of a computer to process the fees for doctors and for chemists' prescriptions and it became obvious to me that this would have to be done in two stages. To be quite frank, there is a financial reason too. In the case of social welfare increases, they are usually staged over two periods. I will be frank with the Deputy and say that it is, first of all, to relieve the taxpayer and the ratepayer of a scheme that progresses from one part of the year to the other. It is equally essential for us to control the computer and know what it is doing and to be in contact with the Medical Association and the Medical Union in matters that arise in connection with the scheme. All these things are of equal importance.
Does the Minister anticipate any delay in the introduction of the choice of doctor scheme in the Eastern Health Board area?
I have already given the reply.