GPs must obey Government policy on the new doctor-only medical card scheme, the Government insisted today.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen called for "vested interests" in the health service to look at the "bigger picture" in the current wrangle over the 200,000 new medical cards announced in the budget.
Finance Minister Brian Cowen
The new plan has created a stand-off between GPs and Minister for Health Mary Harney. However, Mr Cowen has asked for common sense to prevail in the dispute.
"The Government has made a decision," he said. "We should sit down and make sure that decision is implemented. If people want to change it they can stand for election and come in here with a democratic mandate and we will discuss it further."
Mr Cowen told members of the Oireachtas Public Services Committee today that the Department of Health's €13 billion budget included the biggest modernisation programme within the health services in the history of the State.
"This strategy wasn't plucked out of the air. It was subject to the most open and broad consultation process," he added. "No-one could say that their opinion wasn't sought on the matter."
The minister also hinted that taxpayers could be paying the compensation bill for illegal nursing home charges for several years.