Published: Friday, 27th January, 2012 11:00am

Offaly GPs receive €7.5 million in medical card payments

The medical card scheme in the Faithful County cost taxpayers over €7.539 million last year, with 27 family doctors receiving payments.

Dr Bernadette Scully, who operates a surgery from the Medical Centre in Clonminch, Tullamore, received a total of €549,818 during 2010, the highest payment to an Offaly GP, and the 23rd highest nationwide according to the latest HSE figures.

Edenderry GP Dr Paul McAleer, Granary Court Medical Centre, is the only other family doctor to breach the €500,000 mark last year receiving a total of €518,598 in fees and allowances as part of the medical card scheme.

Examining the local figures further, five general practitioners received over €400,000 each for the twelve-month period. They were Dr Declan Scanlon, Church Street, Tullamore, Dr James Quinlan, St Kyran's Street in Tullamore, Banagher-based GP Dr Mary Harkins, Dr Paul Fahy, 3 St Conleth's Road, Edenderry and Dr Anthony Keane, Harbour Street, Tullamore.

Treating medical card patient during 2010 resulted into another five Offaly family doctors collecting payments in excess of €300,000 according to the figures supplied by the the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) of the HSE.

Dr Brendan Lee, who runs a surgery at 3 Cormac Street, Tullamore earned a sum of €379, 766 over the twelve month period from the medical card scheme, while Birr-based GPs Dr Donal O'Brien, Wilmer Road, Dr Patrick McGovern, John's Terrace and Dr Patrick McAuliffe collected €359,793, €351,904 and €310,462 respectively last year.

At the other end of the scale the lowest earning local doctor in 2010 is Dr Aktar Gujjar Mansoor, Kilbeggan Bridge, Tullamore with just €12,253 in fees and payments over the twelve month period in 2010.

That figure pales in comparison to the number one GP in the country - Dr Andrew Jordan in Dublin South West who made €846,517 for providing services medical card patients over the twelve month spell. In total, a total of €117 million was paid out to doctors in the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster region during 2010, the PCRS statistics indicate with the Midland counties making up €33,360,104 of that figure.

Under the medical card scheme, the majority of family doctors are paid an annual capitation fee for each eligible person - the rate of payment is determined by the age/gender of the person and distance between each person's residence and the centre of practice of their doctor of choice according to the health authorities.

A minority of doctors who have continued to provide services under the fee per item of service agreement are paid a fee for each doctor patient contact.

There are further payments for a range of 18 services such as excisions, suturing, vaccinations, catheterization, family planning as well as out-of-hours fees. Annual and study Leave together with locum, nursing and secretarial support accounts for other payments under the patient support scheme which offers additional funding for the running of a surgery.

All medical card patients s can avail of full GP services and, in many cases they can benefit from specialist clinics provided by GPs for issues such as women's health, family planning and asthma. The HSE says the 2010 statistics only includes doctors who participated in the scheme for the full year.

Medical Card payments to Offaly doctors

Dr Bernadette Scully, The Medical Centre Clonminch Tullamore €549,818

Dr Paul Mc Aleer, Granary Court Medical Centre, Edenderry €518,598

Dr Declan Scanlon Church Street, Tullamore, €478,443

Dr James Quinlan St Kyran's Street, Tullamore, €426,017

Dr Mary Harkins Harbour Rd, Banagher €419,171

Dr Paul Fahy 3 St Conleths Road, Edenderry €409,383

Dr Anthony Keane Harbour Street, Tullamore €401,771

Dr Brendan Lee 3 Cormac Street, Tullamore €379,766

Dr Donal O'Brien Wilmer Road, Birr €359,793

Dr Patrick McGovern Birr Medi Centre, John's Terrace, Birr €351,904

Dr Patrick McAuliffe Green Street, Birr €310,462