MEMBERS of the National Association of Independent GPs picketed the IMO conference at the weekend. They were protesting at the alleged failure of the organisation to negotiate a new entry system for doctors into the State's medical card scheme.
Dr Eugene Cotter, a private GP, said they represented over 500 general practitioners who were denied the right to treat and attend patients eligible under the Department of Health GMS scheme.
Patients, he said, were denied a choice of doctor because the IMO was party to the abolition of the five-year rule, which stated that doctors were guaranteed a right of entry into the scheme after five years in private practice.
Dr Cotter said over 25 per cent of GPs were outside the GMS and were severely disadvantaged professionally. They had no holiday entitlements, no pension scheme, no maternity leave entitlement and no practice-development allowances. Doctors in GMS practice were paid based on the number of patients on their panel.
"Where a GP has a very large list size, the basic practice income will be higher. The system encourages expansion of list size. However, very few GPs will take on a new partner to absorb the increased workload. Instead, the practice of employing fully trained and qualified GPs as assistants obtains," said Dr Cotter.
The average annual payment to GMS doctors is £55,000, according to last year's GMS annual report.
The outgoing president of the IMO, Mr Hugh Bredin, who met the small group of protesters, said they should join the IMO and "fight their case from the inside".