Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
541. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the position regarding general practitioners visiting patients on their medical card list in their homes in circumstances in which the person is seriously ill or unable to physically get to the health centre due to a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33791/17]
View answerUnder the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, GPs must be available to provide services in their practice premises or by way of domiciliary visits, as appropriate, for their medical card and GP visit card patients, for 40 hours each week. They must also make arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum/deputy, for urgent cases outside of these hours. It is a matter for the GP to decide whether it is appropriate to see the patient in his/her surgery or in the patient's home based on the clinical need, social and other circumstances in any particular case.
