Dublin: Ireland's health sector is moving from a response based on testing and detection to reduce infection to a mitigation phase focused on reducing the impact of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable.
The free service provided by GPs to the covid-19 patients in Ireland has come to an end. The HSE has stopped subsidizing GP visits during the Covid outbreak. The health department issued an order in this regard last day.
From Friday 9 December, in line with government policy, GPs will no longer have a place to refer patients to a community test centre, or be subsidized by the HSE, and any private patients attending their GP clinic will be subject to a normal consultation. ie the fees applicable at their GP practice. However, patients with GP visit cards and medical cards will not be affected by this change.
Introduced in March 2020, emergency measures, remote consultations, referrals to community testing centers and Covid-19 respiratory clinic consultations were provided free of charge to all. GPs will no longer refer patients to one of the 29 community testing centres, but the HSE's self-referral portal has opened for tests at these centres.
In addition, the HSE will pay GPs a new fee for consultations with vulnerable patients to benefit patient diagnosis and management. That is for a prescription for the COVID-19 antiviral drug paxlovide. GPs can screen frail patients in clinically necessary consultations to diagnose and treat Covid-19, rather than referring the patient to the HSE Covid-19 testing centre. This €55 fee will be paid by the HSE to patients classed as being at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19, and will come into effect from Friday 9 December.
Treatment for COVID-19 with Paxlovid anti-viral medication is currently recommended for people who are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. The following patient groups have been identified as at the highest risk from COVID-19:
- are immunocompromised and have a weak immune system
- have not been fully vaccinated and are aged 65 or over
- have not been fully vaccinated and have additional risk factors
Patients may also be considered for Paxlovid if they are:
- vaccinated and aged 75 or over
- vaccinated and aged 65 or over with additional risk factors
Although testing for COVID-19 is no longer advised for most people, it is essential that everyone continues to follow all public health guidance published on HSE.ie and anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should continue to self-isolate for up to 48 hours. Until symptoms improve significantly or completely.
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