Ballymahon GP received over €469k in medical card payments in 2010

A Ballymahon-based doctor received over €469,000 in payments from the State for treating medical card holders last year, the Westmeath Independent has learned. Dr Declan McGivney, who operates a surgery at the Medical Centre in the town received the highest payment of any local doctor under the Government scheme in 2010, latest HSE statistics reveal. In all, a total of 41 doctors in Westmeath were paid €10.1 million from the taxpayers' purse for provision of the Medical Card Scheme last year, down from €11.1 million over the previous twelve months. Locally, a closer look at the statistics indicates that Dr Mark McCormick of Gardenvale Surgery received the largest payment among Athlone GPs during 2010, receiving €385, 352 this time around, a drop of over €57,000 on the 2009 figures. The payment is broken down into fees and allowances worth €333,275 and €55,644 for practice support which offers additional funding for the running of a surgery. Next in the table is Ballymore-based general practitioner Dr P Kelly with a total of €374,065, Dr Gerard J Lynch, Toorphelim, Moate, who received €369,918 and Dr Graham Kearon of St Paul's, Gardenvale, taking in €360,954 from treating medical card patients during the year. Husband and wife team Dr Tony Lowry and Dr Loyola Lowry, based in Newtown Terrace, follow in the local table with €356,190 and €332,640 respectively from the scheme over the course of the twelve months, while Dr John Rice in nearby Garden Vale got €311,142. Another five local general practitioners breached the €200,000 mark for payments last year as part of the scheme, with four more in the Athlone area receiving in excess of €100,000. The HSE says the statistics only includes doctors who participated in the scheme for the full year. Nationally, the highest payments were made to Dr Andrew Jordan in Dublin South West who received €846,517 for providing services medical card patients over the twelve month spell. A total of €117 million was paid out to doctors in the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster region during 2010, the PCRS figures indicate with the Midland counties making up €33,360,104 of that figure. Under the medical card scheme, the majority of family doctors are paid an annual capitation fee for each eligible person - the rate of payment is determined by the age/gender of the person and distance between each person's residence and the centre of practice of their doctor of choice according to the health authorities. A minority of doctors who have continued to provide services under the fee per item of service agreement are paid a fee for each doctor/patient contact. There are further payments for a range of 18 services such as excisions, suturing, vaccinations, catheterization, family planning as well as out-of-hours fees. Annual and study Leave together with locum, nursing and secretarial support accounts for other payments under the patient support scheme which offers additional funding for the running of a surgery. All medical card patients s can avail of full GP services and, in many cases they can benefit from specialist clinics provided by GPs for issues such as women's health, family planning and asthma.