GPs who engage in out of hours "on call" work at sexual assault treatment units are to receive increased payments linked to the rates paid to on-call consultants from next month.
Two new units at Galway and Mullingar are expected to be open early next year, Dr Mary Holohan, the national medical director of adult sexual assault treatment services with the HSE, said.
She said that under improved pay rates, expected to take effect from September 1st, GPs will continue to receive on-call payments of €122 on weekday evenings and nights and €200 on weekends and bank holidays.
However, whereas in the past they received an additional flat fee of €100 per case, they will now receive a per case fee of €104 for the first hour and €54 per further hour. These pay rates are linked to those of on-call out of hours consultants. She said many sexual assault cases can take around three hours to complete.
Dr Holohan added that when forensic nurses come into the Irish health system in the coming years, she believed they should receive similar rates of pay to GPs for out of hours work.
The HSE yesterday gave details of the two new units, as well as a training course for doctors.Minister for Health Mary Harney had outlined plans to fund the units in the Government estimates last December.
Some €1.5 million is being allocated this year to cover start-up costs and other improvements to services at sex assault treatment units. A total of €2.5 million has been allocated for 2008.
Following a national review of the units, the expanded services also include sponsored specialist training for medical and nursing staff and a new on-call system for GPs.
The two new units will be provided on the sites of the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar and University College Hospital, Galway. It is intended that the units will work on a 24-hour basis.
"A HSE-sponsored training course for GPs and doctors who are interested in working in this area of practice will commence shortly. The course will be delivered by UCD and will be university certified," the HSE said.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre welcomed yesterday's announcement, saying that the new units were "badly needed".
Chief executive Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop said the centre had accompanied 315 people to the treatment unit in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin in 2006, 20 per cent more than in 2005.
"We know that only 10 per cent report crimes of rape and sexual assault in this country and there is no doubt but complainants were put off reporting when they knew they had to travel, sometimes right across the country, in order to be forensically examined," she said.
"We hope, now that the pay structure for doctors has been increased appropriately, and specialist training for doctors is available at UCD, that more GPs will come forward and participate in this much needed service."
"The more services we have, the chances are that more people will be encouraged to come forward and report these heinous crimes that continue to plague our society."
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