MINISTER FOR Health James Reilly has proposed new talks between Government departments, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Competition Authority to try to agree a deal on doctors’ representatives negotiating with the State in relation to GP fees without changing competition legislation.
Unlike hospital doctors, GPs are not State employees but are independent contractors.
It has been the position of governments for some time that under competition legislation, State bodies cannot negotiate on fees with representative bodies for contractors such as GPs who provide services to the State.
However, the previous government promised as part of the Croke Park Agreement to look at changing competition law to allow bodies such as the IMO to negotiate on behalf of their GP members in relation to fees paid under the various State medical schemes.
However, speaking on Saturday night prior to addressing the IMO’s annual conference, Dr Reilly signalled that the EU-ECB-IMF troika had difficulties with such proposed changes to the competition legislation.
The Minister said that much that was envisaged by the Government in relation to its planned primary care reforms could be carried out without negotiating a new GP contract, which would almost certainly have to involve negotiations with the IMO.
He said the Croke Park Agreement made provision for such changes in work practices.
He said the GPs would argue that if they were to be included under the Croke Park Agreement the Government would have to alter competition legislation as promised by its predecessor.
However, Dr Reilly said the Government would have to be very mindful of the position of the troika in any such development.
“The last time they did the report they specifically looked at the health area and were not happy at any proposed changes. So this matter will have to go to Government.”
The Minister said as an alternative to necessarily having to change legislation he would propose that “the Department of Enterprise, the Department of Health, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and IMO and the Competition Authority would sit down and thrash out a resolution to this that would allow the IMO represent its members yet at the same time not create a cartel effect and protect the public from any such actions that might cause greater financial hardship on the Government than the people can afford”.
