GPs stick to their guns over fees

General practitioners are standing firm in their refusal to reveal charges to the Ministry of Health.

The doctors' stance jeopardises the July 1 introduction of Government subsidies for patients aged 18 to 24.

At a weekend conference of Independent Practitioners' Associations in Christchurch, delegates were told to "hold tight" in their campaign of non-compliance against "attempts to control general practice" through "bureaucratic price control".

Council chairman Doug Baird said "the profession people trust the most, general practice, is being controlled by the profession they trust the least, politicians".

"We are happy to pass the subsidy on to patients, but in doing so we do not expect the Government to use the opportunity to control our businesses and our delivery of quality care," he said.

The ministry's deputy director-general of clinical services, Colin Feek, said the ministry was not trying to set GP fees but wanted district health boards to be satisfied that GP fees were "low or reduced and fair and reasonable" after the subsidy introduction.

- NZPA