S.I. No. 284/2015 - Health Act 1970 (Section 58C) (Payments to Relevant Medical Practitioners) Regulations 2015.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 10th July, 2015.

WHEREAS I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Health, pursuant to section 5 8C(5) (inserted by section 5 of the Health (General Practitioner Service) Act 2014 (No. 28 of 2014)) of the Health Act 1970 (No. 1 of 1970), prior to the making of these regulations, engaged in such consultations as I considered appropriate in accordance with subsections (6) and (8) of the said section 5 8C;

AND WHEREAS I, pursuant to subsection (7) of the said section 58C, consider the amounts and rates prescribed in these regulations to be fair and reasonable having regard to the matters specified in the said subsection (7);

NOW I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 5 8C(3) and (4) (inserted by section 5 of the Health (General Practitioner Service) Act 2014 (No. 28 of 2014)) of the Health Act 1970 (No. 1 of 1970), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health Act 1970 (Section 58C) (Payments to Relevant Medical Practitioners) Regulations 2015.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on 1 July 2015.

2. In these Regulations “ section 5 8C” means section 5 8C (inserted by section 5 of the Health (General Practitioner Service) Act 2014 (No. 28 of 2014)) of the Health Act 1970 (No. 1 of 1970).

3. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 1 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (2) thereof and provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1) to the class of eligible persons specified in column (2) at that reference number.

4. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 2 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (2) thereof at that reference number, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

5. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 3 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (2) thereof at that reference number, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

6. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 4 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (2) thereof at that reference point, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

7. The amount specified in column (2) of Schedule 5 is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners whose practice is eligible for the rural practice allowance specified in column (1) thereof under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

8. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 6 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (2) thereof at that reference point, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

9. The amount specified in column (2) of Schedule 7 is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (1) thereof at that reference point, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

10. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 8 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the maximum payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular services specified in column (2) thereof at that reference point, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

11. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 9 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the maximum payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular locum expenses specified in column (2) thereof at that reference point, payable to those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

12. The amount specified in column (3) of Schedule 10 opposite a particular reference number in column (1) thereof is prescribed as the payment to be made to relevant medical practitioners in respect of the particular service specified in column (2) thereof at that reference point, provided by those relevant medical practitioners under agreements referred to in section 58C(1).

SCHEDULE 1

Capitation payments
ReferenceNumber(1)	Description(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Annual Capitation Fee per Child Patient on the GP’s panel, which includes two periodic assessments, one at age 2 and one at age 5.	€125.00
2.	Initial Asthma diagnosis and registration after the Child Patient reaches the age of 2 years	€50.00
3.	Enhanced capitation in year 1 post registration of Child Patients with Asthma (subject to submission of annual dataset return)	€90.00
4.	Enhanced capitation for care of Child Patients with Asthma for each subsequent year up to and including the age of 5 years (subject to submission of annual dataset return)	€45.00

SCHEDULE 2

Special Services (Special Items of Service)
ReferenceNumber(1)	Description(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Removal of lodged or impacted foreign bodies from the: (a) ear (b) nose (c) throat (d) skin	€24.80
2.	Removal of adherent foreign bodies from the conjunctival surface of the eye	€24.80
3.	Suturing of cuts and lacerations (including application of tissue glue)	€37.21
4.	Excisions/cryotherapy/diathermy of skin lesions	€24.80
5.	Draining of abscess	€24.80
6.	Nebuliser treatment in the case of acute asthmatic attack	€37.21
7.	Treatment and plugging of nasal and dental haemorrhages	€24.80
8.	Attendance by General Practitioner at case conferences	€62.02

SCHEDULE 3

Out-of-hours payments (in respect of consultations other than day consultations or consultations occurring as part of an overflow in respect of normal surgery hours)
ReferenceNumber(1)	Description(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Surgery consultation Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between the hours of 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the same day and 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on the same day	€13.88
2.	Surgery consultation Monday to Friday between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. the following day and any time on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays	€41.63
3.	Domiciliary visit out-of-hours	€41.63
4.	Surgery consultation or domiciliary visit out-of-hours where a general practitioner sees an additional patient during the same consultation or visit	€13.88

CHEDULE 4

Payments to a general practitioner in respect of temporary residents, EEA visitors and emergency consultations where a general practitioner sees another general practitioner’s patient in an emergency
ReferenceNumber(1)	Service(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Surgery consultation	€40.94
2.	Domiciliary visit	€40.94

SCHEDULE 5

Allowance in respect of a general practitioner whose practice is eligible for a rural practice allowance
Service(1)	Amount(2)
Rural practice allowance (per annum)	€16,216.07

SCHEDULE 6

Fees payable to a general practitioner (GP) for dispensing
ReferenceNumber(1)	Service(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Opt-in GP (dispensing doctor)	€38.03
2.	Pilot GP (dispensing doctor)	€43.88
3.	Continuous GP (dispensing doctor)	€12.48

SCHEDULE 7

Payment to a general practitioner for a second medical opinion
Service(1)	Amount(2)
Fee for second medical opinion	€26.46

SCHEDULE 8

Maximum allowances in respect of practice nurses and practice secretaries payable on the basis of a general practitioner’s panel size
ReferenceNumber(1)	Service(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Nursing subsidy (per year) — 1 year’s experience	€30,945.86
2.	Nursing subsidy (per year) — 2 years’ experience	€32,665.07
3.	Nursing subsidy (per year) — 3 years’ experience	€34,384.29
4.	Nursing subsidy (per year) — 4 or more years’ experience	€37,822.72
5.	Secretarial subsidy (per year) — 1 year’s experience	€20,630.57
6.	Secretarial subsidy (per year) — 2 years’ experience	€22,349.80
7.	Secretarial subsidy (per year) — 3 or more years’ experience	€24,068.99
8.	Practice manager subsidy (per year) — based on first point of nursing subsidy	€30,945.86

SCHEDULE 9

Maximum allowances payable to a general practitioner in respect of locum expenses
ReferenceNumber(1)	Service(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Annual leave (per day)	€197.24
2.	Annual leave (per week)	€1,380.65
3.	Sick leave (per day) during the first week	€197.24
4.	Sick leave (per week) for the first week	€986.18
5.	Sick leave (per day) from week 2 to week 26	€197.24
6.	Sick leave (per week) from week 2 to week 26	€1,380.65
7.	Sick leave (per day) from week 27 to week 52	€98.62
8.	Sick leave (per week) from week 27 to week 52	€690.33
9.	Study leave (per day)	€197.24
10.	Study leave (per week)	€1,380.65
11.	Maternity leave (per day)	€197.24
12.	Maternity leave (per week)	€1,380.65
13.	Paternity leave (per day)	€197.24
14.	Adoptive leave (per day)	€197.24
15.	Adoptive leave (per week)	€1,380.65
16.	Annual leave — former District Medical Officer: (a) maximum rate — payable for each of the first 3 days annual leave in a year (b) medium rate — payable for each of the next 25 days annual leave in that year (c) minimum rate — payable for each other annual leave day in that year	€66.47€56.86€48.92
17.	Statutory leave — meetings of statutory bodies (per day)	€197.24
18.	Attendance at Irish Medical Organisation general practitioner meetings (per day)	€197.24

SCHEDULE 10

Payment to a general practitioner in respect of the registration of asylum seekers
ReferenceNumber(1)	Service(2)	Amount(3)
1.	Asylum seeker/non EU registration fee (a once-off superannuable registration fee)	€173.69

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations.

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GIVEN under my Official Seal,

1 July 2015.

BRENDAN HOWLIN,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

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GIVEN under my Official Seal,

1 July 2015.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations shall apply to payments in respect of services rendered by general practitioners under the agreement for the provision of services to children under 6 years of age pursuant to the Health (General Practitioner Service Act) 2014 .