Mayo's top earners from medical card scheme are disclosed

THE top-earning Mayo GP practice in the medical card scheme made over €500,000 last year, according to figures released by the HSE, writes CLAIRE McNAMARA

Five local practices made more than €400,000 through the scheme in 2018, while 19 doctors in the Mayo region received more than €300,000 in fees and allowances.

Details released under the Freedom of Information Act to The Connaught Telegraph show Dr. Keith Swanick's practice in Belmullet made €520,000 last year.

However, Dr. Swanick highlighted that the figure outlined does not represent a salary.

It is the gross income paid to the practice to provide GMS services to medical card patients.

All costs of running a busy surgery is paid out of this sum including staff salaries, light, heat, phones and rates.

Five other local doctors got in excess of €400,000 - Belmullet's Dr. Fergal Ruane, Ballina's Dr. Sean Moffatt, Knock's Dr. Diarmuid Murray, Mulranny's Dr. Jerry Cowley and Ballina's Dr. William Brunker.

Denis McCauley, chairman of the IMO GP Committee, said the figures provide by the HSE imply that GPs are receiving much more income than is actually the case and does not reflect the true situation.

"This money does not go directly to GPs, while their major cost is staff. I work in a group practice - we have 15 people who we employ to help us run the practice. The figures provided by the HSE were utterly misleading.

Separately, the highest earning dentist and pharmacy in Mayo last year, based on payments they received through medical cards were Shane Cadden in Castlebar and Treacys Pharmacy Westport, who both received €231,457 and €441,864 respectively.

Top 10 highest payments to Mayo GPs were as follows:
Dr. Keith Swanick, Belmullet - €520,036.00
Dr. Fergal Ruane, Belmullet - €511,728.24
Dr. Sean Moffatt, Ballina - €486,540.59
Dr. Diarmuid Murray, Knock - €436,531.28
Dr. Jerry P. Cowley, Mulranny - €417,521.46
Dr. William Brunker, Ballina - €409,846.50
Dr. John Gibbons, Swinford - €396,572.53
Dr. Gary Curran, Ballindine - €391,805.49
Dr. Michael Regan, Cong - €391,682.22
Dr. Enda Loftus, Glenamoy - €390,361.96.
*The figures are gross and include practice support.