If you use accident and emergency services without being referred there by a GP, there is a charge of €100. There is no charge if you are referred by a GP (bring your referral letter with you) or for certain groups listed below. The charge applies to the following public facilities:
- Emergency departments
- Accident and emergency departments
- Casualty departments
- Minor injury units
- Urgent care centres
- Local injury units
- Any other facility providing similar services
The charge of €100 does not apply to the following groups:
- Medical card holders
- People who are admitted to hospital as an in-patient as a result of attending the casualty department (you will then be subject to in-patient charges)
- People receiving treatment for prescribed infectious diseases
- Children up to 6 weeks of age
- Children, in respect of the following diseases and disabilities: “mental handicap, mental illness, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, haemophilia and cerebral palsy”
- Children referred for treatment from child health clinics and school health examinations
- People who are entitled to hospital services because of EU Regulations
- Women receiving maternity services
- People with Hepatitis C who have a Health Amendment Act Card
The charge applies to the first visit in relation to an illness or accident. If you have to return for further visits to an out-patient clinic in relation to the same illness or accident, you should not have to pay the charge again.
You can be referred by your family doctor to the out-patients department of a public hospital for specialist assessment by a consultant or his or her team or for diagnostic assessments (for example, x-rays, laboratory tests, physiotherapy). If you attend this service as a public patient, you will not have to pay for this service. If you wish to attend a consultant in a private capacity, you must pay their fee (Unless you are referred directly by a D Doc GP and have already paid D Doc for the consultation).
