Family doctors paid average of €104,000 for treating medical card patients

Family doctors were paid an average of €103,700 for treating medical-card patients in 2017, according to the Central Statistics Office.

This represented a fall of almost 15 per cent from the average GP refund paid by the Health Service Executive of €121,700 recorded in 2013.

Over this period the overall cost of GP claims grew 6 per cent as the number of patients treated increased 10 per cent, the CSO figures show.

The rise is largely attributable to the introduction of free GP care for under-sixes and a growth in the older population.

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The cost of GP claims increased from €293.8 million to €311.5 million between 2013 and 2017.

The number of family doctors treating medical-card patients grew significantly over the period, from 2,413 to 3,005. But the average number of patients seen per GP fell, from 877 to 775.

Doctors saw 1.11 million male patients and 1.22 million female patients over the five-year period.

The CSO figures are based on data provided by the HSE’s primary care reimbursement service.

They include payments such as capitation and fee-per-item but do not include out-of-hours payments and allowances.

Most GPs also see private patients but as private operators they are responsible for their own costs, including staffing and accommodation.