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Medical Card Scheme generates €6.3 million for Offaly doctors

Twenty-five Offaly doctors received some €6.3 million from the Medical Card Scheme last year, with one Banagher GP earning in excess of €475,000 in fees for treating patients over the twelve month period.

Dr Mary Harkins, Harbour Rd, Banagher, was the top earning general practitioner in Offaly in 2008 under the scheme, coming in 65th nationwide in the league table, with a total of €475,230.10. That is broken down into €388,465.73 in medical card fees and another €86,764.37 under a separate scheme known as the Practice Support Payment, which offers additional funding for the running of a surgery.

The statistics show Dr Declan Scanlon, Church Street, Tullamore, was the second highest earning GP from the Medical Card Scheme in Offaly over the last twelve months with €427,399.88, followed by Dr James Quinlan St Kyran's Lane, Tullamore, who received €425,916.68 during 2008.

Eight other doctors breached the €300,000 mark last year, including €388,809.30 to Dr Philip Brady, Dublin Rd, Edenderry, while another seven GPs in the county collected over €200,000 for treating medical card patient.

Towards the lower echelons of the local doctors' earnings from the General Medical Scheme in 2008 was Dr Shane Carroll, Health Centre, Banagher, with €47,869.84, the third lowest figure in the county and Dr Darragh O'Hare, Oxmantown Mall, Birr, with €32,453.15 in second last spot of the 25 local doctors.

Meanwhile, the lowest payout locally of €14,698.08 was to Dr Akhtar Gujjar Mansoor, whose practice is based at the Kilbeggan Bridge, Tullamore.

In the Midlands, the top earner spot was held by Dr Patrick Cullen in Coole in the north of the Westmeath with €601,468 in fees.

In all, the Medical Card Scheme cost the tax payer over €500 million last year, although the figures for 2009 are expected to be somewhat lower reflecting the impact of the halving of the capitation fee for the non-means-tested over-70s patients last January and a 8% cut to professional fees for doctors which is expected to come into force shortly.

Under the GMS scheme, family doctors receive an average fee of €162 per patient and, since January this year, a fee of €290 for patients aged over 70. There are further payments towards practice costs such as secretarial services, as well as out-of-hours fees, and a small contribution towards pensions.