GPs anger at ‘misleading’ HSE report on €540m in allowances
THE Health Service Executive paid over €540million to GP practices and co-ops last year in fees and allowances for treating medical card patients, with the highest paid GP practice receiving over €1million.
Doctors criticised the HSE yesterday for revealing ‘misleading’ figures on what GPs are paid for treating medical card patients as it didn’t take into account the costs of staff, the cost of premises, insurance, technology, supplies, insurance, light and heat and consumables.
The highest paid GP practice is in Dublin South West and received €1,107,592 including practice support.
The National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) reacted angrily to the release of figures.
‘These figures in isolation provides a misleading impression that this is what GPs earn,’ said chief executive Chris Goodey. ‘The fees indicated by the HSE fund the salaries of the GP employees, practice nurses and administration staff, the cost of premises, insurance, technology, supplies, insurance, light and heat, consumables, etc.
‘GPs receive, on average, €9 per month for each medical card patient irrespective of whether they attend once or 10 times over that month.
‘The reality is that these payments do not cover the cost of that care.
‘We are disappointed that the HSE has released these grossly misleading figures. It is an issue that we will be reporting to the Data Protection Commissioner.
‘Funding into general practice does not represent the take-home pay of GPs. GMS funding in general practice covers care for all patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year under the existing GMS contract.
‘Meanwhile there are thousands of patients left abandoned by the HSE due to 70% of practices around the country having no capacity to take on their care due to lack of funding.’
The five highest payments were made to Dublin-based GP practices, totalling more than €4,361,700, with 28 doctors receiving payments exceeding €500,000.
The HSE defended the publication of the figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
A spokesman said: ‘The HSE is satisfied that data protection legislation allows for the release of this information under FOI.
‘The HSE fulfils its obligations by providing transparency, to the greatest extent possible, on the use of public funds; it should be noted that in 2014, GPs were reimbursed in the sum €453million for service provision and the reimbursement figure to GPs for the year 2017 was €551million.’
‘Misleading impression’