GP's - Charges for Follow up Visits

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I got a bill from my accountant recently, equivelent to 10 GP visits in costs. I do accept that a service has to be paid for.
An average GP pays roughly 7000 euro a year, just to insure against malpractice ( they get none of this subsidised by the HSE, as they are contractors). To remain on the medical council register costs another 400 euro. The required membership of the irish college of GPs is laos in the order of 1000 euro.Then on top of that is premises, disposbles such as scalpels, needles, syringes, sterile equipment, refridgeration and staffing costs and their public liability. Educational meetings and journals also need to taken into account.
All that has to be paid for, before personal income is taken out.
A " free" note from a GP is all well and good, and anyone can argue that the incremental cost of a consultation or professional opinion is very low, but remember that a doctor is professionally liable for everything that they write or do.
There is variability among GPs on pricing. I can see this myself. And dont forget, you are within your rights to negotiate follow up costs in advance.
 
I never thought about 'negotiating' a visit charge. I suppose I am from the school of thought that a doctor is always right/respected member of society. One of my doctors I saw was actually in my class in school and there was no way I could call her by her first name when seeing her recently in a professional context.

Is there anything that requires charges to be displayed, by the way, such as the old ODCA used to for pubs/shops etc?

I suppose the point that both the original poster and myself had is that if the service was provided properly in the first place - her daughter being diagnosed correctly and my doctor realising that there is absolutely no way I would be cured within 3 days - the second visit/contact wouldn't have been necessary. I hope I get better soon, am turning into an angry young woman!

By the way to the person who suggested another GP, I should tell you my nightmare story of a GP visit in a walk in clinic in town. The poor doctor had obviously just split up with the love of her life, cried all over me, and told me every bit of her story. I had never seen her before nor since. Now she was a perfectly nice woman but I didn't feel like paying 60 euro for this when all I wanted was a cream for eczema!
 
I must be very lucky as my GP don't charge anything for repeat visit related to the same condition.
 
It can be very difficult to just 'go to another GP', I recently woke up with a very simple yet very uncomfortable ear condition on a Saturday morning, my GP doesnt work weekends so I tried to find another local one to see me and was told by 5 different receptionists - 'oh the doctor isnt taking new patients, only existing'.
I ended up waiting it out until the Monday to see my own GP.
 
rob30 said:
An average GP pays roughly 7000 euro a year, just to insure against malpractice ( they get none of this subsidised by the HSE, as they are contractors). To remain on the medical council register costs another 400 euro. The required membership of the irish college of GPs is laos in the order of 1000 euro.Then on top of that is premises, disposbles such as scalpels, needles, syringes, sterile equipment, refridgeration and staffing costs and their public liability. Educational meetings and journals also need to taken into account.
All that has to be paid for, before personal income is taken out.
follow up costs in advance.
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Very insignificant outgoings in comparison to what a typical GP will earn! Hardly a reasonable justification for an expensive 2 minute follow up charge.
 
The approx 10,000 euro mentioned above + nurse's salary + secretarys salary + rent/light/heat etc is insignificant? How much do you thinks GP's earn? GP's have to charge for their time, the OP's issue was with treatment received as well as cost of return visit. At the surgery where I work a price list is displayed at reception and in the waiting room so patients are clear on charges when they sign up - return visits are charged for at a reduced rate. A GP would be a miracle worker if they could cure everyone on the first visit.
 
markowitzman said:
can you enlighten us as to what the typical gp earns and what their hourly costs would be?
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No I can't exactly but they can charge €55 per visit for a consultation that might last 5 minutes, and follow up visits can, as this thread suggests, almost cost as much.....you do the rest of the math :rolleyes:.
 
No I can't exactly but they can charge €55 per visit for a consultation that might last 5 minutes, and follow up visits can, as this thread suggests, almost cost as much.....you do the rest of the math
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Using your rationale it takes me 5 minutes to fill the car with diesel at the garage and this costs more than 55 euro.........and follow up visits cost the same?
I self serve, I am dealt with by a minimum wager, I will probably make a discretionary purchase or two to boot and every so often spend a few euro on car wash.
Why oh why do some think that spending less than a fill of petrol for one's health is such a "rip off" and a good % of these costs are reimbursable?
Had plumber for five mins last week for 80. Five minutes to get new tyre.........165.
you do the rest of the math :rolleyes:.
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Don't need to........with medical inflation running a 2-3 times inflation year on year I know the maths!!!!!!
 
truthseeker said:
An absolute max of 20 minutes in my GPs practice, if you are still there after 20 mins its pointed out to you and you are told the visit is over.
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If this is true, I wouldn't be surprised if this particular GP ends up facing a serious negligence or malpractice claim. It would be impossible to apply such an "absolute max" in all cases, especially where it might endanger the patient.
 
ubiquitous said:
If this is true, I wouldn't be surprised if this particular GP ends up facing a serious negligence or malpractice claim. It would be impossible to apply such an "absolute max" in all cases, especially where it might endanger the patient.
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I agree, i am fortunate enough never to have had anything serious enough wrong that may have warranted more than 20 minutes, however judging by the fact that appointments frequently run late there must be some leeway in it.

However - i would say that the general case is that you are allotted 20 mins as a max for an appointment (in my GPs practice), as friends of mine who also use the practice have experienced same.
 
ClubMan said:
Do you accept that sort of policy on the part of your GP?
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If my memory serves me correctly there is a notice up in the waiting room stating that appointments are 20 mins long - so I have never felt hard done by as I know going in that Ive got 20 mins.
 
I've never heard of a recommended or enforced appointment duration.

Either way, have to say I've never felt pressurised to end my GP visits.

I'm sure I've been there up to 45 minutes on occasion.
 
A GP I used to use advertised an additional charge if the consultation exceeded 15 minutes. A notice was posted in the waiting area to advise patients. The notice also advised of additional charges if more than one patient was seen in the same consultation (presumably parent & child or 2 or more children scenarios).

Never experienced it myself, but after a few months, the notice disappeared, so I wonder how successful it was!
 
well for an 8 hour day at 3 visits (20mins) per hour and €55/visit, I would calculate:

8*3*55 = €1320/day

For a 48 week working year, this works out at

48*40*3*55 = €316800

(our local GP is on about €200k, it was in the newspaper a few months ago)
 
leghorn said:
well for an 8 hour day at 3 visits (20mins) per hour and €55/visit, I would calculate:

8*3*55 = €1320/day
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Does this GP not take lunch? Or ever have gaps in their appointment schedule? Or take time off from clinics to do other work in the practice? Or do house calls?
For a 48 week working year, this works out at

48*40*3*55 = €316800
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Even if this (wildly optimistic in my opinion) estimated revenue/turnover was indicative so what? You'd need to then take into account costs and overheads before jumping to conclusions about profits or salary etc.
(our local GP is on about €200k, it was in the newspaper a few months ago)
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Under what circumstances did the newspaper publish your GP's salary details? Or were you mistaken and it was actually some other figure (e.g. HSE payments or something like that)?
 
Fwiw, the stress and pressure of GP work means than none of them can work a 48-week year without running serious risks to their own health.
 
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