GPs warned over sharing intentions on under-six contract

GPs have been warned that they risk breaching competition law if they share with other doctors their intentions on the Government’s new contract for providing free care for children under the age of six.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said it had written to the National Association of General Practitioners expressing "grave concerns" that the organisation had been conducting what amounted to "an ongoing and escalating campaign designed to encourage its members to engage in a collective boycott of the under-sixes contract contrary to EU and Irish competition law".

Advising

“The commission is further advising that any individual GP in

Ireland

who engages in the exchange of information with competitor GPs regarding their future intentions in relation to the under-sixes contract risks acting outside of Irish and European competition law.”

The Government recently reached a deal with the Irish Medical Organisation on the provision of free GP care for children under six.

Strongly opposed

However, the association was not involved in the talks that led to this agreement and it has strongly opposed the initiative.

The National Association of General Practitioners yesterday started a legal challenge to the Department of Health/HSE plan for children under six. The HSE had set a deadline of next week for GPs to sign up to the new contract. It will be up to each GP to decide whether to accept it.