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GPs accuse Dept of 'using vulnerable patients as fodder' in row over illness benefit forms

The Department of Social Protection has accused GPs of delaying the payouts of illness benefits.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of General Practitioners has accused the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection of “manufacturing” the delays in paying out some illness benefits to get GPs to use the new benefit forms issued by the Department. 

As previously reported by TheJournal.ie, people who receive an illness benefit from the State have been waiting weeks for payments which the Department said was down to GPs continuing to use old medical claim forms despite a system change over at the start of the month.

The NAGP issued a statement earlier today to say that it was with grave concern it learned of the Department of Social Protection’s (DSP) statement yesterday which suggested that GPs were to blame. 

“The Department is stating that the delays in payments are due to GPs refusing to use the new forms. They are claiming that this is causing significant delays to our processing time”

“This is merely a tactic to bully GPs into changing work practice without mediation or negotiation. The Department is now attempting to use the public to strong-arm General Practice into submission.”

The DSP recently introduced a new claim form (IB1) and a new medical certificate (MED1) to replace the previous MC1 and MC2 forms for certification of the Department’s illness and injury benefit schemes.

It warned that payment delays will likely continue where old forms are used for certification.

Chris Goodey, CEO of the NAGP told TheJournal.ie that he believed the department is “trying to delay payments to patients and using patients, vulnerable patients as fodder” to get GPs to use the new forms.

“I don’t know of any other profession where someone would say ok we’re changing everything now, no training no nothing and giving you four days notice without any negotiation or conversation whatsoever.

It does not make any sense whatsoever. These are manufactured delays.

The NAGP has sad that on 17 August it received written agreement from the Department confirming entry into a process of mediation in order to iron out concerns in relation to the implementation and processes of the new illness certification forms.

It says the DSP withdrew their agreement to mediate without notice or reason. 

Dr Stephen Murphy told TheJournal.ie that he first aware of the form changeover when he received the new forms in the post at the end of July.

“I’ve personally met with the Department twice, they had given us undertakings that they would accept old forms on an ongoing basis.

“I was there when the negotiator from the Department came out and we met and we went through all this, and the old forms were fine.

“They even said they would accept headed paper from GPs,” he said. 

Murphy said that he does not understand why they cannot use the old system which “they promised they would” and that the statement they issued yesterday was a complete “180-degree turnaround from what they had said to us face to face not two weeks ago”.

 Data Protection 

Chris Goodey said that one of the main objections the association has with the new forms is the volume of additional patient information that is required to be given. 

“The NAGP has not received confirmation from the Department as to who is classified as the Data Controller or who is the Data Processor.

“The NAGP were told that the software that the Department of Social Protection is planning to use had been funded by the HSE.

He continued that the association has “serious reservations about data capture, data control and where the data will eventually end up”.

The NAGP have asked the relevant and pertinent questions to which we have yet to receive satisfactory answers.

Goodey says that GPs are not in breach of their contract as they are still providing the older forms to patients who require them.

“If the Department is not willing to engage, GPs around the country may have no alternative but to individually decide to withdraw from their contract with the Department,” Goodey said. 

‘Working very efficiently’

The Department said today that new system is “working very efficiently for GPs already using the new forms and their patients – our customers – are being paid their illness and injury benefits without delay”.  

It added that it would not be in a position to accept old forms indefinitely as they are “not compatible with the new system and each requires significant manual inputting into the Department’s payment systems.

“This requires the Department to manage two parallel processes in order to continue to pay customers their benefits and is not sustainable.”

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    May 15th 2025, 7:19 PM

    My own opinion is that Denis O’Brien couldn’t care less about ordinary workers.

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    Mute dave forde
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    May 16th 2025, 3:45 PM

    @John doe:

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    May 15th 2025, 7:07 PM

    Respect to the Ben & Jerrys boss,Ben cohen

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    Mute ecrowley ecrowley
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    May 15th 2025, 7:23 PM

    @Jb Walshe: Not to derail an article, but fair play to him, especially considering his ethnicity.

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    Mute 8LLwCLed
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    May 16th 2025, 6:16 AM

    @John doe: sure he took the money when he sold up. He can say what he likes.

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    Mute Kevin O Brien
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    May 15th 2025, 7:26 PM

    Was Denis ,Fine Gaels Lowrys preferred bidder that time

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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    May 15th 2025, 7:08 PM

    A good, fair & well balanced article/ viewpoint. I simply cannot figure why / how or it should make an iota of difference to an employer exactly WHERE the work is done from……….provided productivity & results remain static or improve. I get that it ‘may’ be beneficial to hook up with colleagues once in a while ( see the white of their eyes so to speak) but the traditional 9 to 5 in an office miles away is thankfully an outdated Idea

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    Mute J H
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    May 15th 2025, 7:38 PM

    @Buster Lawless: is it outdated though? Still plenty of jobs out there that need people to be present. I don’t think remote working builders, nurses would ever take off. It’s a niche area. But they said on the radio the other day that the novelty of remote was coming to an end but people wanted incentives I.e planned activities and leisure areas. I thought wow, I always thought that a pay cheque was enough of an incentive. It’s not for everyone but nice to have the choice if it really helps you have a good quality of life.

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    Mute Kev Kerr
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    May 15th 2025, 7:46 PM

    @Buster Lawless: see the whites of their eyes? What are you going to do, shoot them?

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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    May 15th 2025, 7:56 PM

    @J H: mmmmm…… Can never see heart surgeons working remotely ……. obviously, the article relates to those who it can & does work well for

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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    May 15th 2025, 8:00 PM

    @Kev Kerr: lol, very good but seriously it IS great to hook up, brainstorm, grab a coffee occasionally with peers & colleagues……. Maybe I’m a wee bit olde skool but there are some interactions that are better suited to face-to-face

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    Mute Alan
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    May 15th 2025, 10:21 PM

    @Buster Lawless: that’s because you don’t keep up with the news. Remote surgery is well established.

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    Mute Dia M
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    May 16th 2025, 5:20 AM

    @Buster Lawless: there are actually a lot of surgeries that can be done remotely through robotics haha

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    Mute Sickof thisshit
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    May 15th 2025, 7:07 PM

    I’ll informed comments that are ignorant of today’s workloads. Showed us he’s in a world he no longer understands.

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    Mute Alan d
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    May 17th 2025, 7:12 PM

    @Sickof thisshit: He is 100% correct Dennis .

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    Mute honey badger
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    May 15th 2025, 8:00 PM

    How many days a year is the bauld Denis domiciled in Malta?

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    May 15th 2025, 11:25 PM

    @honey badger: Probably none at all, it’s a tax dodge for the elite!

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    Mute Nikki Swift
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    May 15th 2025, 8:33 PM

    During COVID when it suited some employers to allow staff to work from home they were only delighted to send out laptops to keep their business open and keep staff in jobs so why can’t it keep going, if it saves staff money(they have no travel expenses) and the work is getting done what difference does it make

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    Mute J H
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    May 15th 2025, 7:49 PM

    I imagine it’s very difficult for Denis to understand remote working but he doesn’t actually realise he does it himself every day. It only affects a small sector the majority of us show up and work whether it be offices, hospitals, building sites, airports, shops, lorry drivers, bus drivers, taxis and hospitality sector. Definitely a generation of small business owners find it difficult which I can understand because it’s all they ever knew. I could do my job remotely but I’d hate it. Love getting dressed and going to the office and most days are a good laugh and I like the change of scenery. It wouldn’t suit my job or me.

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    Mute Cunningham Oliver
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    May 15th 2025, 9:09 PM

    I can work 2 days a week at home. I do 1 day a week at home. Still get the work done and hives me a better work/life balance. Denis O’Brien and a lot of top CEO’s hate us having workers right. They can do one. Hybrid working works for some industries. End of.

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    Mute Fergus O'Donnell
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    May 15th 2025, 8:21 PM

    A truly lost soul.

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    Mute Paul Garvey
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    May 15th 2025, 7:47 PM

    any view on working from prison ?

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    Mute Alan
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    May 15th 2025, 10:21 PM

    @Paul Garvey: already done via mobile phone

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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    May 15th 2025, 10:46 PM

    Dennis O’Brien. Michael Lowry T.D., Why is that I cannot think of one of the without thinking of the other? Strange. Oh, wait…….Moriarty

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    Mute John Moore
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    May 16th 2025, 3:13 AM

    Hmmn how did Denis become a billionaire again? Maybe we could ask Michael Lowry. How he has the nerve to comment on anything let alone people’s work practices I don’t know. Some people just have no shame.

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    Mute rose sheridan
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    May 16th 2025, 6:49 AM

    @John Moore: Home is full of distractions…a few years back my gp left the consulting room ( where i was in mid consultation ( nothing serious) to greet his kids coming from school…normal (yes) focused (no)

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    Mute rose sheridan
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    May 16th 2025, 6:57 AM

    @John Moore: we need to listen to job creators(Denis OBrien &Michael O’Leary) a proportion of the ” remote” jobs will no longer exist in the near future for humans(AI) so who/what will be the future job creators?

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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    May 15th 2025, 11:38 PM

    I work in hospitality. So my personal experience doesn’t count. I can’t work remotely. My girlfriend has a good corporate position in a multinational bank. She works from home half the week, the other half she is 10 blocks away in the north American headquarters of said bank. She has some days at home that she has an easy and relaxed day and doesn’t have to be dialed in for the whole time, as long as the days work is done. At other times she is going from 7am, to deal with counterparts in Europe, and doesn’t stop for 12 hours or more. It will never apply across the board but if the company has put the procedures in place and they manage them correctly it is the way forward for certain industries

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    Mute JP
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    May 15th 2025, 8:31 PM

    Leave Denis O Brian aside. It’s obviously a good thing when civil service unions don’t want it to end. Another symptom of covid. So many people don’t want to work since then.

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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    May 15th 2025, 10:48 PM

    The well fed head on the fkr

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    Mute S Os
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    May 16th 2025, 5:04 PM

    It’s always middle aged men with wives at home, helicopters and enough money to hire nannies and cheifs that think WFH is a bad thing. You will rarely hear a woman with kids , a full time job and an hour commute say its a waste of time. I have found you get more work and loyalty from WFH staff as they can be flexible, are less stressed from no commute and are saving a fortune doing from home exactly what they do in work

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    Mute Eugene Sol
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    May 16th 2025, 3:56 PM

    Brilliant article Dr. Catherine Conlon, my current employer is trying to push me out due to my wfh contract I could get during the covid time, nightmare things happening during 1.5 years, and it is terrible experience. Managers want to have slaves, see their heads, and this is main attribute of almost all companies. We live in time where people who manage other peoples, do not have enough skills and competences to do so, but the do. This frog like O’brien says us how to live and work, what to do and how spend time, I wish the world will show them the true, and allow people decide themselves where and how to work.

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    May 17th 2025, 1:58 AM

    Denis oBribe

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