Call for liberalisation of medical system

DOCTORS should be paid on the basis of the number of patients they cure as opposed to the number on their books, according to BUPA Ireland managing director Martin O’Rourke.

Speaking at a Symposium in Dublin organised by the Competition Authority, he said there needs to be a liberalisation of the whole medical system where the control over the number of doctors practising is relinquished and consumers have direct access to consultants.

BUPA marketing director Sean Murray said: “We should double the number of consultants here, and I think the Irish Hospital Consultant Association (IHCA) and the Department of Health would agree with that.

“In many European countries such as Germany, you can go down street and walk straight into a dermatologist’s practice. I don’t see why that shouldn’t be possible here.”

BUPA has a sister company called Sanitis in Spain, where the medical system has recently been liberalised. Mr O’Rourke said this had shortened waiting lists and cut treatment costs.

A spokesperson for the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) said it wouldn’t disagree with Mr O’Rourke’s assertion about GPs being paid for cured patients, but felt it would be difficult to achieve.

ICGP communications chairman Brendan O’Shea said: “We do believe that payments and recognition should be based on audited and documented achievements of key targets.

“We do support the concept of a whole population register and pro-active management care.”

However, the reality of the situation is far from this, he said.

“Only one third of our population are registered under the General Medical Scheme,” Mr O’Shea explained.

“GPs and the public now have grave reservations about the accountability, flexibility and efficiency of this system.”

While the ICGP does support the increased manpower in the health system it is strongly opposed to direct access to consultants.

Dr O’Shea said: “Evidence suggests that this results in a higher number of inappropriate references, and inappropriate use of specialists’ time overall.

“I have no doubt that this would lead to increased transactions for insurance companies so I can see why they would support this.”