GP extra charges

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kate73

Registered User
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I was very shocked when my mother's GP charged 40 Eur to fill in a GP report for a referral to the Alzheimers Association! To make matters worse, I'm only starting to apply for stuff for my mam so planning to apply for medical card too. That would be another E40? . I can't bring myself to ask will everything be 40 now? I had forgotten that about 2 yrs ago she was charged I think 25/30 for hearing aid application.

Is this normal now?
 
why shouldn't it be normal? A medical card presumably is for medical care and not administrative tasks by the medical centre or doctor
 
GP visit cards and medical cards do not cover everything. The goverment pays the GP practice X amount per public patient for Y services.

If you ask for forms to be completed outside of that contract then there is a charge.

Everything a doctor signs takes time and carries a potential medicolegal risk. They fill out many forms each day, so if they did them all for free they would be losing significant revenue.

If your mother is a private patient then it's the same as if she went to any other business and used their services/resources.
 
FintanJ said:
You are complaining about being charged for a service. I don’t understand the point? Do you want GP to work for free?
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Not for free but I thought E40 per form was very steep. From chatting to others since, some don't charge certain patients or charge maybe E20 most, not E40. It will cost my mother E80 this week for 2 forms to access services. Just seems a lot for a pensioner.

And by normal now I mean there was a time when I was not charged by my own GP to sign a form relating to my child. It is a number of years ago now so maybe she would charge today if it is now the norm. Fortunately I haven't needed my GP to sign any forms for a couple of years.
 
kate73 said:
Not for free but I thought E40 per form was very steep. From chatting to others since, some don't charge certain patients or charge maybe E20 most, not E40. It will cost my mother E80 this week for 2 forms to access services. Just seems a lot for a pensioner.
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If she can't afford these costs and is experiencing genuine financial hardship, she or you could get in touch with Community Welfare Services.
 
As a GP, we are bombarded by requests for letters and forms for this that and the other. A medical card or doctor visit card is for treatment and investigation of medical illness. That is all. Any additional services requested must be paid for. It is forms like these that keep GPs in their practice late into the evening and away from their families. As previously stated, it is entirely reasonable to expect to be paid for these services. Most GPs would prefer to never again have to fill in a form or write a letter for something and not be paid, but these are services requested by patients. Whether or not you feel it is value for money is your own interpretation. Some GPs may charge less, some more, some may not charge at all. It is a free market.
 
kate73 said:
Not for free but I thought E40 per form was very steep. From chatting to others since, some don't charge certain patients or charge maybe E20 most, not E40. It will cost my mother E80 this week for 2 forms to access services. Just seems a lot for a pensioner.

And by normal now I mean there was a time when I was not charged by my own GP to sign a form relating to my child. It is a number of years ago now so maybe she would charge today if it is now the norm. Fortunately I haven't needed my GP to sign any forms for a couple of years.
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kate73 said:
Not for free but I thought E40 per form was very steep. From chatting to others since, some don't charge certain patients or charge maybe E20 most, not E40. It will cost my mother E80 this week for 2 forms to access services. Just seems a lot for a pensioner.

And by normal now I mean there was a time when I was not charged by my own GP to sign a form relating to my child. It is a number of years ago now so maybe she would charge today if it is now the norm. Fortunately I haven't needed my GP to sign any forms for a couple of years.
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Reasonable price to me for a doctors time. Irrelevant that it is a pensioner. If means is an issue then bring it up with social welfare . Don’t be giving out about doctor.
 
Jazz01 said:
Not really a free market when you can't switch GPs due to the many, many reasons already discussed on this and other forums!
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You are free to switch if not happy. Not a lot available but that is another thing. People complaining about GPs for know good reason does not help the situation.
 
The bit I don't understand is the duplication of requirements across various government services. For example:

I attended my optician and had my regular eye test recently and was given a clean bill of health until next year, i.e. no change to my current prescription.

My driver's licence is due for renewal next month, but despite having been given the all clear by my optician in the summer, because I wear spectacles I must now pay my GP for another identical in parts, but less detailed in others, eye-sight test to renew. Why, for crying out loud?

Bureaucracy gone even madder than usual.
 
mathepac said:
The bit I don't understand is the duplication of requirements across various government services. For example:

I attended my optician and had my regular eye test recently and was given a clean bill of health until next year, i.e. no change to my current prescription.

My driver's licence is due for renewal next month, but despite having been given the all clear by my optician in the summer, because I wear spectacles I must now pay my GP for another identical in parts, but less detailed in others, eye-sight test to renew. Why, for crying out loud?

Bureaucracy gone even madder than usual.
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There are 2 main forms used: eyesight or medical report.

Optometrists can 100% complete the eyesight report and that's all most people need.

The medical report is completed by a GP or Consultant but is only required in specific circumstances.

Are you sure you have the right form?
 
My doctor charges €50 for a form to be filled. It is good value for money in my opinion. These are professionals and need to be paid for their time and overheads.

It is the agencies who require doctors signatures for a wide variety of forms that should be taken to task. Why does the Alzheimer’s association need a gp form, why not do the work themselves etc?
 
Ive have had to have a number of forms filled in for my son. Prior to having the medical card, we would bring the form in during the appointment and GP would discuss it with us and either fill out there and then or have it ready within few days. That was covered by our appointment fee and there was no additional costs.
My son has medical card now and we've needed 2 referrals to CAMHS ( because of error on their side), and our GP did not charge for this. We then had appointment and a detailed referral created for dean clinic, as CAMHS still dragging their feet which was completed during appointment as needed to discuss it. No charge.

40 quid for what is probably a straightforward form definitely sounds steep, dont care what anyone says. And for decades ive had to pay for GP, extra for bloods and never resented that but 40 or 50 quid for a stamp and signature is a bit much. Honestly be nearly better to make appointment and bring in the couple of forms.
 
dubdub123 said:
40 or 50 quid for a stamp and signature is a bit much.
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It's never just a stamp and a signature though. If it is, you can presumably get that done in a Garda station.

A professional is legally accountable for literally every third party form they sign, and is on the hook whenever such a firm is certified inappropriately. As such they demand appropriate care and work.
 
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It won't be long until it is 60 or 70 euro for the same forms to be signed...what then we all just say ...ah sure they are over worked and under paid for signing a few forms and they deserve it...:mad:
 
joer said:
It won't be long until it is 60 or 70 euro for the same forms to be signed...what then we all just say ...ah sure they are over worked and under paid for signing a few forms and they deserve it...:mad:
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The way both litigation and GP overwork are both going in this country, it won't be long before GPs refuse to sign them at all.
 
T McGibney said:
The way both litigation and GP overwork are both going in this country, it won't be long before GPs refuse to sign them at all.
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But if you have to get a letter signed by a doctor they can't refuse to sign them but they can, sorry, will ( over) charge you for the privilege..
 
joer said:
But if you have to get a letter signed by a doctor they can't refuse to sign them but they can, sorry, will ( over) charge you for the privilege..
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I'm saying the time will come when they will indeed refuse. They're crazy not to have done so already.

State agencies should not be permitted to subcontract their due diligence obligations onto underresourced GPs with their own patient waiting list backlogs.
 
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