Vol. 577 No. 3
467 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Health and Children the arrangement with chiropodists for provision of services to pensioners on medical cards; the details of the scheme and payments; when payments were last adjusted; when the existing arrangement is up for review; if the practice of charging pensioners an additional ?10 is contrary to the national agreement; and the plans he has to stop this practice and return the service to its previous purpose. [31222/03]
Health boards are not legally obliged to provide chiropody services to medical card holders. The formal position is that arrangements for the provision of services, including chiropody services, are a matter for the individual health boards, having regard to their priorities within the funding allocated. Accordingly, chiropody services provided by health boards vary somewhat throughout the country. However, priority is usually given to medical card holders who are aged 65 years and over, persons who have contracted hepatitis C directly or indirectly from the use of human immunoglobulin anti-D, or from the receipt within Ireland of any blood product or a blood transfusion and who have Health (Amendment) Act 1996 cards, and for people with illnesses such as diabetes or arthritis.
A person must be referred for chiropody services by their general practitioner or a public health nurse and most boards provide three chiropody treatments per annum to all medical card holders over the age of 65 when considered clinically necessary.
Chiropody services in Ireland are provided by health boards where arrangements have been made with chiropodists or podiatrists to provide this service on a salaried or on a sessional basis. Services are also being provided at chiropodists' practices. Rates payable by health boards to chiropodists for services under the general medical services scheme are increased in line with the general round increases. Rates payable as at 1 October 2002 are as follows: treatment, €3.31; surgery visit, €18.32; and domiciliary visit, €27.55.
In some board areas the chiropody service is being delivered by voluntary agencies, which provide the services in locations in the community, for example day care centres, and to which an allowance is paid by the health board. Domiciliary visits are made in some areas, if necessary.
I have written to the chairman of the health boards' chief executive officer group asking for an investigation of the levying of this charge by chiropodists and podiatrists and their reply is awaited.
