GPs WHO lobbied for the removal of restrictions on entrance to the medical card market have welcomed an announcement that new legislation is in the pipeline.
However, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said any comment on the proposed legislation would be premature.
Last week, Minister for Health James Reilly said the Cabinet had given approval for the drafting of legislation to remove restrictions on GPs from treating all Medical Card patients. The Bill would be drafted “as a priority”, he said.
Under current regulations, once GPs have qualified they are permitted to treat private patients, but their right to treat medical card patients is restricted.
The proposed legislation is being introduced following the EU-International Monetary Fund memorandum of understanding, which required the removal of restrictions to competition in sectors deemed to be sheltered. As part of the deal the changes were supposed to be introduced by the third quarter of the year.
Under the proposed new legislation, the Health Service Executive can enter into public patient contracts with any qualified GP. GPs who hold a public contract which allowed them only to treat new medical card patients will be able to accept patients transferring from other GPs lists.
The viability of existing GP practices in an area will no longer be a factor in awarding public contracts.
Speaking yesterday, Dr Ruairí Hanley, who led a campaign to abolish the restrictions, said the new legislation was very good news.
He said the big fear over the last few months for young GPs was that the IMO might undermine the reforms to “protect the income of established GPs”.
He hoped there would be no delays and that the legislation would be pushed through the Dáil in a matter of weeks.
“It’s a great day for patients who will have more choice, and for young GPs starting out,” he said. “It is a bad day for a small section of the GP IMO establishment.”
Asked to comment on the pending introduction of the new legislation, a spokeswoman for the IMO said it had only just been approved and the legislation had not been published yet. “Commenting would be premature.”
