Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 5

Written Answers. - Medical Cards.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

229 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 265 to 267, inclusive, of 12 February 2003, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that general practitioners will not now provide such a service to their patients unless a fee of ?15 is paid irrespective of the person being a medical card holder; if his Department will re-investigate this aspect of his reply; if his Department will deal with the problem where medical card holders, mostly pensioners, are now having to pay for such a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4901/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Routine warfarin testing is a service provided primarily in hospitals. The project outlined in my reply to the Deputy's question of 12 February last provided limited funding for provision of the service by a number of general practitioners in their surgeries. This funding is now exhausted, and while an additional sum is to be made available to meet some unpaid claims under the scheme there are no funds available at present to continue the scheme on a long-term basis. I would reiterate that the limited, once-off nature of this funding was understood by all concerned.

Warfarin testing continues to be available free of charge to medical card holders in hospitals as before.