Reilly confirms bill on GPs’ medical card access

SERIOUS restrictions on the number of GPs who can access the lucrative medical card patient treatment bracket are to be removed “as a priority” under legislation called for by the EU/IMF deal.

Health Minister James Reilly, who is also a GP, has confirmed senior Government figures have “given approval to the drafting, as a priority” of the bill.

The legislation, which was also called for by the Competition Authority last year, will focus specifically on changing existing general medical card scheme (GMS) contract arrangements.