A THREAT by GPs to charge medical card patients for out of hours calls has been averted. The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, speaking at the IMO conference yesterday, said agreement had been reached between the Department of Health and GPs in the dispute.
GPs have also agreed to extend the indicative prescribing scheme to private patients. Under the existing scheme, they are offered financial incentives to prescribe fewer drugs and to consider prescribing a generic alternative where, possible. If they come in under budget they receive 50 per cent of the savings.
Now, in response to a significant rise in recent years in the cost of Department of Health subsidies for private patients under the long term illness scheme and the drug refund scheme, GPs will be offered similar incentives for non GMS patients.
"These items have been agreed as part of an overall package which includes a commitment on the part of the IMO to partake in discussions on developing initiatives aimed at achieving more cost effective prescribing under the community drugs schemes," said Mr Noonan.
As part of the deal, the core working hours for GPs will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Outside those hours they will be paid out of hours rates for medical card patients. On Saturdays, the fee, which ranges from £20 to £40 depending on distance travelled, will be paid outside the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. period. It will also he paid all day Sunday and on bank holidays.