214. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify whether a GP practice may charge a medical card or doctor visit card holder a “New Patient Appointment Fee” (details supplied) when registering with the practice; whether such a fee is permissible under the GMS scheme where the appointment is solely for registration; if the HSE has issued guidance to GPs on such charges; and if the HSE is investigating this matter, which has been raised by email on multiple occasions since July without a substantive response despite repeated requests for an update. [67669/26]

GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract with the HSE for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.

Under the terms of the GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients, medical card and GP visit card holders, with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services.

Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes they have been incorrectly by their GP for a service provided under the GMS contract, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office. The local management, upon being notified of potential inappropriate charging of a GMS patient, shall contact the GP concerned and carry out an investigation into the complaint and will, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by that GP.

As the specific question relates to service matters, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible with further information on the matters raised.