THE DISPUTE BETWEEN GPs and Minister for Health James Reilly is one of the issues on the agenda for the Irish Medical Organisation’s AGM today.
The members are due to discuss the dispute – which is over the Government’s new contract for GPs – along with issues such as the shortage of consultants in many of the country’s hospitals.
The IMO said earlier this week that it is “appalled” at some of the details contained in the legislation for the new GP contract.
The aim of the proposals is to overhaul the contractual relationship between GPs and the HSE. The IMO believes the proposals would end up forcing GPs to sign up to a new under-sixes contract, by removing existing medical card patients to the new scheme.
Universal Health Insurance
Also on the agenda today is the Government’s plans for Universal Health Insurance.
UHI has been criticised by trade union Impact, which called it “deeply flawed”.
The AGM takes place today in Carton House in Co Kildare and will be attended by doctors from across the country.
On Saturday morning, a meeting of GP members will take place, during which they will discuss the Government’s proposals for a new GMS contract with GPs.
GPs have called on the Government to engage in full negotiations on the issue.
The Minister of State for Primary Care, Alex White TD, has accepted an invitation to speak at the session.
Transparency
In addition, the AGM will also debate significant changes to the organisation’s rules and structures. These changes were proposed in the wake of last year’s controversy over the departure of the former Chief Executive of the IMO.
The new rules are designed to increase transparency in the organisation and ensure greater accountability to members.
The rules will also ensure that the salary of the organisation’s Chief Executive is published each year “to avoid any repeat of the situation where members didn’t know how much the previous CEO was paid as Chief Executive”, said the IMO.
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