GP access for medical card holders
Deputy Ryan asks whether GPs are using waiting lists to avoid formally refusing medical card applicants, preventing HSE intervention, and seeks legislative action. The Taoiseach says he will ask the Health Minister to clarify the issue directly.
Will the Taoiseach clarify whether it is common practice for GPs to put medical card holders who are applying to become patients of their practices onto waiting lists rather than giving an outright refusal, thereby preventing these medical card holders from getting the three refusals required to ask the HSE to step in and appoint a doctor for them? Is this issue specific to GPs in Kildare? Applicants are without an assigned GP while on the waiting list. What legislative measures can the Minister for Health take to alleviate the situation? I have put in parliamentary questions to the Minister but he sends each one on to the HSE, saying that it is an operational matter. I really do not care whose remit it is. I mean that. I just need to have this resolved. I note the Taoiseach had a lovely green chart at the beginning of Leaders' Questions. Does the Minister have something similar, which would allow us to see the failure in this area?
