End the extortionate cost of seeing a GP

NOBODY who has to pay for visits to the doctor will argue with Simon Harris’s assertion that fees are too high.

Hard-pressed taxpayers are forced to part with €60 or more every time they or a family member need to see their local GP. That vast swathes of the population get free care through their medical cards only adds to the groundswell of resentment.

Various solutions have been mooted down through the years. One suggestion was to do away with the current system and simply impose a nominal fee on everyone for going to the doctor.

Another possibility involved a small charge to medical card holders to discourage unnecessary visits. It is noteworthy that people who pay the fees tend to see their doctor far less often than those receiving free GP care.

On paper, the situation in Britain – where the NHS guarantees free access to GPs for all – sounds ideal. But the reality is we have a situation whereby it can take days or even weeks to get an appointment.

Among the initiatives being considered by the Health Minister is a set number of free GP visits a year for everyone.

Whatever decision he ultimately arrives at, though, it needs to involve a far fairer system than the one currently in place. There is also an onus on GPs to work with the Government to bring this about.

Less than two months ago, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated his commitment to helping the people in this country who ‘pay for everything’. One way would be to make a doctor’s visit less of a financial burden than it currently is.