asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that lists of doctors participating in the choice of doctors scheme were sent to medical card holders with the names of many doctors missing from the list and that this has created confusion; and if he will state what action will be taken in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Choice of Doctor Scheme.
5.
I understand from the Eastern Health Board that, due to a printer's error, one leaf was omitted in a small number of cases in the Dublin area from the list of doctors issued to medical card holders. When the matter came to notice, the health board arranged for publicity in the Press and on radio drawing the attention of medical card holders to this fact and inviting those who had received defective lists to contact the board for a complete list if desired. The board also contacted each doctor whose name appeared on the missing page and invited them to let the board know of any person who had received a defective list if it came to their notice.
Is the Minister satisfied that the steps that have been taken by the health authority have been agreed to by the representatives of the medical profession?
I am satisfied that the steps taken were sufficient.
Would the Minister be able to state exactly the number of cases where incomplete lists of doctors' names were sent to medical card holders? How could the health board be in a position to decide on the number of incomplete lists sent out?
I understand that the list contained six pages. It can be assumed that the choice exercised by patients was potentially affected in only about 25 cases. This potential loss of 25 patients is divided among 50 doctors approximately so that no doctor can justifiably say that he has been seriously affected.
Would it not be simpler for the health board to send a new, complete list to every medical card holder to ensure that no doctor would feel that he had been victimised because his name had not been selected by a medical card holder?
That is a matter for the Eastern Health Board. I think they have taken the correct action.
In fairness to the board, does the Minister not consider that the administration of this scheme should go ahead as originally planned and not in a piecemeal fashion, as the Minister has indicated in the House, and that all medical card holders should be re-circularised with the complete list because the Minister will agree that it is impossible to ascertain the number of patients who have received incomplete lists?
I disagree with the Deputy.