GPs vote to halt HSE plans over payment disparity

THE 128 GPs who form the Shannondoc co-op serving 260,000 patients in Clare, Co Limerick and north Tipperary will ballot this week on a boycott of primary care teams (PCTs).

These are being rolled out nationwide by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to broaden primary care through increased local access to more specialties.

The HSE wants to form PCT clusters in which GPs will have structured contact with designated speech therapists, physiotherapists, counsellors and other health specialists.