Local family doctors are to be given the option of charging patients a nominal fee when free GP care is brought in for all over-70s and children under-6s next year.

The charge is likely to be set at €5, the level of “co-payment” required by the Department of Public Expenditure.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has come out strongly against the introduction of any co-payments as part of the scheme, but individual GPs who were surveyed in a recent study were in favour of the charge as a way of discouraging inappropriate attendances.

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