The Irish Medical Organisation(IMO) has recommended to GPs a deal proposed by the Labour RelationsCommission (LRC) to allow "doctor-only" medical cards.
The General Practice Committee of the IMO met last night and decided to hold a ballot of GPs on the framework agreement next week.
The framework agreement is between the IMO, the Departments of Health and Children, the Department of Finance and the Health Service Executive Employers' Agency.
Originally, GPs were to receive no extra monies for treatingpatients under the doctor-only medical card scheme. Under the framework agreement, however, the doctors have now been offered once-off payments worth a total of €7 million for seeing patients with these cards.
The LRC recommended that, in addition to the annual capitation allowance given to GPsin payment for seeing medical card holders, they should be paid a once-off fee of €35 for each patient they sign up with a doctor-only medical card.
Dr Martin Daly, chairman of the general practice committee of the IMO, said: "Importantly, and at the core of the agreement, is the fundamental and comprehensive review of all aspects of the GMS contracts, schemes and services which the IMO has been seeking for some time.
"The general principles, process and terms of reference have been agreed by all parties with a target date of March 2006 set by the LRC for completion," he said.