'Doctor only' medical cards and pay rises agreed

An Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) committee tonight decided to recommend proposals to its members that would allow the introduction of “doctor only” medical cards and settle a number of industrial disputes.

The General Practice Committee will ballot its 2,000 General Medical Service (GMS) General Practice members over the Framework agreement that has been worked out between the IMO, the Department of Health and Children, the Department of Finance, the Health Service Executive Employers Agency and the Labour Relations Commission.

Following a meeting in Dublin tonight, the committee has decided to recommend its members accept the Framework Agreement.

The deal facilitates the introduction of the proposed “doctor only” cards, which cover GP visits but not drug costs and which have been delayed as a result of the dispute between the Department of Health and the IMO.

The agreement will also see the payment of a number of national pay rises owed to the GPs, and provide for a wide-ranging review of the GMS contracts.

Primary Childhood Immunisation and the Mother and Infant Care schemes will be retained pending the outcome of the GMS review, which is due to be completed by March 2006.

The Framework Agreement also covers a number of other issues, including prioritising a review of the GP Out Of Hours co-operative and providing for the ongoing development of information technology.

Martin Daly, Chairman of the committee, tonight welcomed the agreement.

“This is a significant and wide-ranging agreement which covers not only the contentious matter of ‘doctor only’ medical cards but also many serious and substantive issues which had been outstanding for years,” he said.

“Importantly, and at the core of the agreement, is the fundamental and comprehensive review of all aspects of the GMS contracts, schemes and services which the IMO has been seeking for some time.

“The general principles, process and terms of reference have been agreed by all parties with a target date of March 2006 set by the LRC for completion,” Dr Daly said.

Ballot papers are to be sent out to the IMO’s GMS general practitioner members next week, and their decision will be known shortly after the vote closes on July 6.