Noel Dempsey
Ceist:82 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for Health whether a medical card holder is entitled to complete freedom of choice in relation to the doctor he selects under the General Medical Service. [3031/96]
Written Answers. - Medical Card Holders.
Limerick East): One of the basic principles of the General Medical Services scheme is that every eligible person has a right to choose any participating doctor practising within a reasonable distance of the patient where the doctor concerned is willing to accept that person as a patient and who has not already a full list of patients.
Regulations relating to the scheme made in 1972 (S.I. 88 of 1972), stipulate that "in so far as is practicable, a person availing himself of the service shall have a choice of medical practitioner".
In accordance with the terms and conditions governing the operation of the scheme, a medical card holder must, save in exceptional circumstances, be living within seven miles of his-her chosen doctor's main centre of practice. A medical card holder is obliged to choose a doctor who has a contract with the relevant health board for the provision of services under the GMS scheme.
Within the parameters mentioned above, medical card holders have the right to change their doctor of choice under the scheme.