'New contract needed for GPs'

[Posted: Sat 29/03/2008 www.irishhealth.com]

The Department of Health and the HSE have been urged to take steps to negotiate a new contract for GPs in the medical card scheme.

Talks on a new contract for GPs have been delayed for some time, with the Department of Health and the HSE claiming that they are precluded from negotiating on new agreed fee levels with GPs under competition law.

However, the IMO has rejected this view, stressing that under their medical card contract, GPs had an employment relationship with the HSE and on that basis, the provisions of competition law as it normally applies to fees does not apply.

IMO Chief Executive George McNeice, at the Organisation's AGM in Killarney, warned that should the HSE attempt to unilaterally introduce contract changes for GPs, the IMO would take appropriate legal action.