Free GP care may still cost you, as talks about HSE plan drag on

Both the HSE and doctors have admitted that free GP care for the under-6s and over-70s may not end up being free at all.

Talks between the Irish Medical Organisation and the HSE are continuing after the launch of the new HSE service plan this week. But both sides have said a nominal fee may be unavoidable.

Meanwhile the Government has said that it intends to play ‘hard ball’ with drug companies to claw back savings in the health budget, in spite of having failed to do so previously.

‘Hard ball with drugs companies’

The HSE service plan shows for the first time in six years a modest increase in funding of €115m. But savings of at least €230m must still be found, including €95m through reduced drug prices.

The service plan allocated €25m for children’s care, and €12m for the elderly but the ongoing talks about how to implement the plan have not yet produced agreement.

Asked about the issue of fees for free GP care, the IMO’s Dr Ray Walley said that all aspects, including public contributions for ‘free’ care, are on the table.

‘There is no effective deadline, talks are progressing. The workload is still to be defined, and an outline of fees structuring,’ he said.

HSE boss Tony O’Brien was asked on RTÉ Radio One about fees, but said: ‘Clearly on one hand if you want something to be free you want it to be free.

‘On the other hand I know there is a concern expressed that if it’s absolutely no contribution at all then we could have excess demand, which might not be fully justified.’

Yesterday junior health minister Kathleen Lynch said on RTÉ Radio: ‘ We are hoping with the co-operation of the IMO to have that in place by April this year. It does all depend on those negotiations being concluded, and GPs feel- ing comfortable about how they are going to deliver that service.’

Campaigners gave the plan a cautious welcome, but many called for further investment to make up for destruction caused by previous budgets.

Savings to be made through the use of generic drugs – copies of branded medications – have been included in the plan, but pharmaceutical companies have begun raising prices as governments increase the use of generics.

Ms Lynch said yesterday: ‘We also intend with partners in Europe to start playing hard ball with the pharmaceutical industry.’

Other savings targeted include hospitals being told to slash agency staff costs by at least €30m, equivalent to 300 fewer staff on the ground.