HSE unilaterally cancelling certain medical cards without advising patients


IMO threatens to report HSE to HIQA for “unsafe practices”

Thursday 11th April 2013

GPs in the IMO have warned medical card patients that the HSE has begun to unilaterally cancel some medical cards meaning that they (the patients) are no longer covered for the benefits they have come to expect with their medical card. According to the IMO, the first a patient may hear that their card has been cancelled is when their GP checks its status. The IMO has warned that this is a dangerous practice which threatens patient safety. Dr. Ray Walley, Chairman of the GP Committee says that this practice – when previously carried out - resulted in serious safety issues and could do so again.

According to the IMO, GPs are finding an increase in incidents where the medical card of a patient is no longer recognised in the real-time computer system of the HSE despite the fact that the dates on the actual card continue to suggest the patient is covered. This means that the first many patients hear of the matter is when the GP has to tell them that they are ineligible for free GP care or when they go to collect their next prescription at the pharmacist.

Withdrawal of medical card cover excludes a patient from free GP services and free medications. It also excludes patients from free access to the public health nurse, dentist, A& E attendance, and other state health services.

According to Dr. Ray Walley, Chairman of the IMO GP Committee, this practice of the HSE unilaterally changing the status of a medical card holder is grossly unfair and potentially dangerous; “it is intolerable that patients – many of whom are elderly or have poor literacy skills – have to find out from their GP that their entitlement has been withdrawn. If a private sector business operated like this, they would be castigated by the Government for abuse of their customers but the Government seems to be condoning this action by its own health services. “

Dr. Walley said that the IMO has notified the HSE that, if this practice isn’t reversed, the organisation will refer the matter to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) who have statutory responsibility for patient safety.

Ends