Four GPs receive €600k each in €480m HSE payout

Four family doctor practices each received €600,000 in payments from the HSE in 2013, including one practice that received over €800,000.

According to figures released by the HSE in response to a Freedom of Information request, Dublin GP Austin O’Carroll received the highest amount at €827,658 in 2013.

Another Dublin doctor, Catherine Coleman, was paid the second-highest amount of €682,180 in practice supports and for seeing medical and GP patients.

The top five highest paid is completed by:

• Dr Andrew Jordan €666,622 (Dublin South West);
• Dr Anthony Crosby €648,299 (North Dublin);
• Dr Donal Coffey €586,659 (Kerry).

The report shows that payments to 2,888 GPs through the General Medical Services scheme decreased by €3m to €480m as the number of people on the scheme fell from by about 400,000 to 1.849m.

The figures show that a further 17 GP practices received in excess of €500,000 last year; 82 GPs received between and €400,000 and €500,000; and 339 GPs received between €300,000 and €400,000.

A further 691 doctors received payments between €200,000 and €300,000 with 644 receiving between €100,000 and €200,000.

The figures represent gross payments to practices before the cost of premises and employing staff is deducted.

Jim McDaid, a former Fianna Fáil minister based in Donegal, received €219,158 from the HSE with Fine Gael Wexford TD Liam Twomey receiving €56,878

A spokeswoman for the Irish Medical Organisation said yesterday: “Payments to general practice have been decimated over recent years with more than €160m being withdrawn from the system.

“At the same time demand has increased with an additional half a million patients in the system. The combined effect of reduced resources and increased demand has led to a situation whereby general practice is unsustainable and not an attractive career choice for our young GP graduates.

“The recently concluded agreements between the IMO and the Department of Health and the HSE are a first step but what is needed is a new GP contract with adequate sustainable investment in general practice.”

In addition, the figures show that in 2013, the HSE paid pharmacists a total of €1.4bn compared to €1.5bn in 2012.

Three pharmacists received payments in excess of €800,000 last year. Wicklow-based Bofh Holdings receiving the top amount of €873,660 while Dublin-based Abby Healthcare Ltd receiving €831,847. Hickey’s Pharmacy Group Ltd received €806,672.

A further eight pharmacist businesses received payments between €600,000 and €800,000.

Overall payments to dentists, meanwhile, increased from €63.57m in 2012 to €69.65m in 2013.

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