In 2002 capitation fees totalling €263 million was paid to GPs holding contracts under the general medical services scheme. A sum of €49.23 million was paid for services provided to people aged 70 years and over who gained automatic medical card eligibility since 1 July 2001.
Under the GMSS general practitioner contract, participants are obliged to provide surgery and domiciliary visits, where appropriate, to their medical card patients for 40 hours per week, as agreed with their local health board. They must also make arrangements to enable them, a locum or deputy for emergencies to be contactable outside of these hours.
General practitioners make a clinical decision on whether a domiciliary visit is appropriate based on the symptoms described. If the Deputy give me the names of doctors refusing to make domiciliary visits to medical card patients I will investigate the matter. I have asked all health boards about complaints of general practitioners not visiting homes. I shall pass the information to the Deputy as soon as I receive the information.
The GMSS contract provides a procedure for the handling of complaints by patients. Complaints are a matter for the contract holder, the relevant health board, to initiate a complaints procedure.
It is not within my Department's remit to discuss policies adopted by GP representative organisations. The Deputy may raise the matter with them.
