Reilly: IMF is not targeting medical cards

Health Minister James Reilly has eased fears the International Monetary Fund is targeting free healthcare schemes.

The minister said his clear understanding was the IMF had made inquiries about the medical card scheme and how it operated.

“There has been no suggestion of anything else,” he said.

Speaking at a National Health Conference in Dublin, Dr Reilly said it was still the Government’s goal to deliver free GP care to the entire population.

The minister said the cost of providing free GP care had been worked out.

He said GP care that was most effective and most convenient had the barrier of a fee, whereas the more expensive hospital service, often far from the patient, was free and this needed to be addressed.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of the HSE Cathal Magee said the authority was on track to clear a backlog of 20,967 medical card applications by next month as planned.

Mr Magee told a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children that the backlog of applications at the HSE’s central processing office stood at 57,962 on Jan 26 and that this was reduced to 31,456 by Mar 2.

There had been severe criticism over delays in processing applications, renewals and claims that some documents submitted by patients had been lost.

The HSE has advised that people can continue to use their old medical cards while waiting for the processing of their application for a new one.

Mr Magee also told the committee that 4,515 HSE staff members had agreed to leave the service under the voluntary retirement service as of Mar 9 last.

He said €16m was being spent on replacing 500 staff members who were leaving — 288 would be in acute hospital services and 244 in community services.

Fine Gael Senator Colm Burke was informed in a written reply from the HSE that around half of the doctors who completed their internship in Ireland in mid-2011 (around 235) had left the country.