Ireland's top optom earners are named

Ireland's top optometrist earners in the Republic's Primary Care Reimbursement Service have been published. Of the 373 optometrists named, Specsavers Opticians figures six times in the top 10.

During 2004 the service, formerly known as the General Medical Services (Payments) Board, made payments to 5,372 doctors, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists and ophthalmologists for community-based services provided to more than two million people.

Payments were made for a range of public health schemes, including the Medical Card Scheme and the Drugs Payment Scheme. The total paid by the Board for these services provided during 2004 was €1,65m, an increase of €221m over 2003.

Optometrists were paid €17.44m, with twice as many individuals and outlets receiving between €80,000 and €120,000 in 2004 than in 2003.

Commenting on the 2004 Report of the General Medical Services (Payments) Board, Ireland's minister for health and children, Mary Harney, said the figures from the GMS Board showed the Irish taxpayer was paying a substantial amount of money for health services.

'It is important that we continue to get value for money from the scheme and that it is patient focused,' she said 'and that is why we want to begin talks on a new contract to modernise primary care services.'

The increased level of payments reflects an increasing and ageing population in the Republic and the growth in the numbers eligible to claim under the various state-funded schemes, as well as an overall increase in the number of claims processed.

In its 2004 annual report, the GMS (Payments) Board records that more than 2.71m people were registered as eligible for benefit under the General Medical Services (Medical Card), Drugs Payment, Long Term Illness, Dental Treatment and Health Board Community Ophthalmic Services Schemes. This compares with 2.65m people eligible in 2003.

More than 54m business transactions were processed in 2004, an increase of more than 6m over the previous year.
david.challinor@rbi.co.uk