Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021
884. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the amount that practice nurses are being paid per vaccination or per hour to administer Covid-19 vaccines; the amount general practitioners and other doctors are being paid per vaccination or per hour to administer Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11645/21]
View answerGPs and pharmacists are private practitioners, and as such require the setting of fees payable for the administration of vaccines against Covid-19; whereas practice nurses are employed by GPs and paid by their employer. Where fees are paid to GPs, these are intended to include the full costs of scheduling and administering the vaccine and must cover not only GP pay, but also the additional payments to practice nurses and practice administrators who will be involved in providing vaccinations outside of normal clinic hours, as well as the additional costs of cleaning surgeries. Public healthcare workers are remunerated on a salary basis under the terms of their employment.
The fees payable to GPs and pharmacists were set following consultation with the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish Pharmacy Union. A fee of €25 per vaccine dose, and a once-off €10 per patient administration fee, will be payable to GPs and pharmacists for the administration of such vaccines outside of HSE-run mass-vaccination clinics, e.g. in GP practices and pharmacies. An hourly fee of €120 and €70 will be payable to GPs and pharmacists respectively for vaccination services provided in HSE-run mass-vaccination clinics. The fees reflect the amount of time required, additional administrative requirements and complexity, and the level of post-vaccination care likely needed.
