GPs ‘could always veto medical card removal’

Plans to reform the medical card system have descended into farce just 24 hours after being unveiled after it was claimed that GPs have been able to reinstate the help since 2012, but never used the power.

The situation, which, if true, could have prevented the most serious medical card scandals from taking place, emerged after Health Minister Leo Varadkar announced plans to allow GPs to veto the removal of the cards in rare cases.

Under measures launched by Mr Varadkar on Tuesday, family doctors were told they could reinstate a discretionary medical card to patients for four months, and for up to a year in certain circumstances, if they believed it had been wrongly removed.