Vol. 573 No. 2
152 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason agency doctors have established contracts with the health boards which has the effect of displacing existing locum doctors who have traditionally provided this service; if his attention has been drawn to the growth of this trend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24751/03]
It is a condition of the GMS contract, which gen eral practitioners hold with local health boards, that appropriate arrangements be made to cover hours when the individual doctor is unavailable for patients.
As I mentioned last week, in unforeseen or unexpected circumstances, such as the death or retirement of an existing general practitioner, health boards may be required to use the services of a locum to cover such absences. I am not aware of health boards having established contracts with any locum agency to provide services.
Arrangements for the provision of service for medical card holders are a matter for the chief executive officer of the relevant health board to decide. Accordingly, my Department has referred the question to the chief executive officers of the boards and the authority for investigation and direct reply to the Deputy.
