The HSE has warned GPs that they face financial penalties if they charge medical card patients for blood tests.

Some medical card patients have reported that GPs have charged them for routine blood tests, with doctors claiming that this service is not covered under their medical card contracts.

However, according to the HSE, GPs, where the taking of blood is necessary to assist in the diagnostic process or to monitor a patient's condition, cannot legally charge medical card patients for blood tests.

The health executive has written to medical card GPs stating that it will fully investigate any reported incidents of medical card patients being charged for blood tests.

According to information provided to independent TD Seamus Healy of the Oireachtas Health Committee, the HSE has warned GPs that any instances of these charges being imposed 'will result in deductions being made from routine payments to the general practitioners concerned.'

The IMO has said, however, that GPs have no contractual obligation under their contracts to provide blood tests for medical card patients.