Government prepared to negotiate with IMO on all aspects of new GP contract except fees

The Government is prepared to negotiate "meaningfully" with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) on all aspects of the proposed contract for the provision of free GP care for children under the age of six, with the exception of fees, according to the Minister of State at the Department of Health Alex White.

In a confidential letter sent to the organisation last Thursday, the Minister said the setting of fees for the service “must remain a matter for the Minister for Health”.

Mr White said there would be an opportunity for the IMO to have an input on fees and the fee structure to apply as part of a separate consultation process.

View of doctors
He described the controversial proposed contract as a draft and said he was very interested in the view of doctors and of the IMO in particular on its content and scope.

He noted the concerns raised by the IMO that the Department of Health and the HSE may not be prepared to engage meaningfully on the issue. The Minister said he wanted to make clear that this was not the case.

“I am aware from previous public statements and from the submissions received on February 21st last that the IMO has a number of significant concerns with aspects of the proposed contract.

“I would now respectfully suggest that we address these concerns together.

“Such a direct engagement as I now propose can extend to any and all aspects of the content and scope of the proposed contract,” he added.

“The various questions raised by the IMO may be addressed at the outset of such negotiations.”

In the letter, Mr White formally invited the IMO to meet the Department of Health and the HSE and suggested that talks could get under way this week.

The Minister said he was aware of the legal proceedings between the Competition Authority and the IMO which were listed for hearing in the High Court at the end of April. He said he did not want to comment on the specifics of the case.

Competition law
Mr White said the Department of Health did not dispute that the Irish Medical Organisation was a registered trade union with a negotiating licence.

However, he said the department and the HSE had to “observe established competition law principles”.

“Notwithstanding the foregoing, it seems to me that we can work together to seek a consensus on the many important matters of mutual concern, and it is my genuine wish that we should proceed in that spirit.”