GP visit cards for carers a ‘vote-buying exercise’, say doctors

It is likely to be next summer at the earliest before carers receive free GP visit cards under the new initiative announced this week by Minister for Health Simon Harris.

The Department of Health said the move would require new primary legislation to be passed by the Oireachtas before the scheme could come into effect.

Up to 40,000 people who are receiving a carer’s allowance could receive the GP visit cards under the Government plans.

However, the initiative has been criticised by doctors as a “vote-buying exercise” that the Minister cannot deliver on.

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The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said the Government's plan could not go ahead without negotiations and the provision of adequate resources for general practice in order for such patients to be cared for appropriately.

It said it was not an issue about carers who, it said, were very deserving of a whole range of supports.

The IMO said it was an issue about transforming and developing general practice “so as to deliver real change in a planned and co-ordinated manner, not just giving out GP cards as tokens to patients in a vote-buying exercise”.

Election

The National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) said the Minister’s announcement was “a populist move to win votes” in anticipation of an election next spring. It was a promise he could not make good on, the group said.

The NAGP said in recent weeks the Minister had recognised there was no additional capacity in the general practice sector, “yet makes this promise despite assurances that there would not be any extensions to the existing 40-year-old GMS contract”.

It also maintained the decision was made by the Minister without any consultation or agreement with medical organisations.

The NAGP described the initiative to provide carers with GP visit cards as “ disingenuous”.

The association said the Government was proposing to offer carers a doctor visit card “that does not carry with it the benefits such as medications, counselling, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, that this particular group need”.