GPs threaten strike action if forced to repay €20m

DOCTORS threatened to go on strike yesterday and withdraw from the free medical card scheme if they are forced to refund €20m paid to them for treating "ghost patients."

The GPs were paid the money for treating more than 25,000 patients who had died or moved away from their area, the Dáil Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday.

This massive overpayment was made under the free medical card scheme, which was extended to all people over 70 just a year before the general

election. Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell told the committee the doctors were paid €12m for treating 15,000 patients who do not exist according to health board records.

A further audit has revealed that another 10,000 medical cards were issued to ghost patients, Department of Health secretary general Michael Kelly told the committee.

These cards are now also cancelled and the department will be seeking repayment of all these fees from the doctors, Mr Kelly said.

It is estimated that a further €8m would be recouped from GPs for treating these additional ghost patients, bringing the total amount due to around 20m, a department spokesman confirmed.

"We are now entering discussions with the Irish Medical Organisation to work out a framework for reclaiming this money nationally," the department spokesman added.

But the union representing the country's 2,600 general practitioners threatened to go on strike last night and withdraw from the General Medical card Scheme (GMS) if the department insists on recouping this money.

Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) spokesman Dr Brendan O'Shea said gross inefficiencies in the administration of the scheme had led to this mistake and it must be totally reformed .

"GPs are already subsidising the care of GMS patients through their private practice," Dr O'Shea said.

"And if the department insists on recouping this money, there will be industrial action and I can see many GPs walking out of the scheme."

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte, who is also a committee member, said the department was given three days' notice to estimate the cost of giving free medical cards to all over-70s.

The department estimated it would cost €19m, but double the anticipated number applied and the scheme has cost €51m so far.

Deputy Rabbitte said this was a gimmick by the Government parties designed to win a general election and to hell with the cost.

"This reckless use of taxpayers' money came from the same Government who blithely made a commitment to give €200,000 extra medical cards to low-income people and have since ignored that promise," Deputy Rabbitte added.