Are people charged for blood tests when visiting a GP?

Akiv89

Hi all
I need to get a few blood tests done. When going to a GP will I be charged for the blood tests or do they normally charge just for the visit?
Thanks:)

Victor

It will depend. I think my GP charges €10 on top of the consultation fee, regardless of number or type.

If only seeing the nurse for the blood sample and not seeing the GP, I would expect to be charged less than a full consultation fee.

I get he impression that most of the tests are done in public laboratories, so the actual test isn't charged for, just drawing the sample and handling.

tayto lover

It is included in my fee for the doctor i.e. 45 euro all in.

delthedriver

Consultation Fee € 65 , Bloods additional €25

Aineoil

It depends on the doctor, to tell you the truth. If you live in Dublin I expect you will be charged the full whack. I live down the country so my GP uses his discretion and charges for some blood tests and doesn't for other blood tests. By the way my GP is a sound guy, so if he feels I've paid for many blood tests in a month he won't charge me for blood tests later in the month. His nurse takes the bloods so I don't get charged a consultation fee. Hope this helps.

Aineoil

delthedriver wrote: »

Consultation Fee € 65 , Bloods additional €25

Wow! That's a lot of money, when you have to pay it yourself out of a salary. My blood tests were 15 euro (no consultation fee), but I do live in a rural part of the west of Ireland.

Dingle_berry

No, the HSE doesn't charge GPs for blood tests. Most bloods are tested in HSE labs. The charge that a GP/surgery might impose on a patient is to cover the phlebotomist and handling of results.

Inspector Coptoor

You could book into your local hospital as an outpatient & get the bloods taken for free.

delthedriver

Aineoil wrote: »

Wow! That's a lot of money, when you have to pay it yourself out of a salary. My blood tests were 15 euro (no consultation fee), but I do live in a rural part of the west of Ireland.

It does not happen too often.A couple of times per year.
I really dont mind paying , brilliant GP, great service from the Surgery Support Staff

Akiv89

Thanks))

JustAThought

Akiv89 wrote: »

Thanks))

& it depends on what tests you need done, whether yiu've a medical card person or not, and whether the tests now have to go to the uk to be done /assessed. Minister for health has closed down many Irish testing labs & put their staff on the unemployment lists so this means extra delays in waiting for results, more costs to the patient etc.

My doctor ( Dublin) charges for the visit and the tests -naturally !!! I had to go back & get a few more done -SOME were for the same lab so he just asked them to also test for x, but some had to be assessed by a different lab so he needed to do more Dracula stuff on me & there were more costs involved so. He didn't charge me for the second visit thou -just the extra lab fees.

Hospitals have the standard e100 charge ( or whatever it is up to now) so it is not free to go to a hospital!!!

TechnoFreek

My doctor has a specific blood test package so to speak. An early morning appointment with the nurse to take the blood. Then a follow up appointment with the GP when the results come back.
Think its around 45 quid.

Dingle_berry

JustAThought wrote: »

& it depends on what tests you need done, whether yiu've a medical card person or not, and whether the tests now have to go to the uk to be done /assessed. Minister for health has closed down many Irish testing labs & put their staff on the unemployment lists so this means extra delays in waiting for results, more costs to the patient etc.

My doctor ( Dublin) charges for the visit and the tests -naturally !!! I had to go back & get a few more done -SOME were for the same lab so he just asked them to also test for x, but some had to be assessed by a different lab so he needed to do more Dracula stuff on me & there were more costs involved so. He didn't charge me for the second visit thou -just the extra lab fees.

Hospitals have the standard e100 charge ( or whatever it is up to now) so it is not free to go to a hospital!!!

The only labs that were shut down were cytology labs. Other labs have been transferred/amalgamated/centralised. No staff were made redundant. They were redeployed.
AFAIK the HSE absorbs the cost of any specialist tests that are clinically pertinent. Which logistically means all tests.
There is no standard €100 fee for phlebotomy or pathology. There is one for A&E without a referral.

Brion

Been a while since I had a blood test so I can't even remember what my results were nor what exactly was tested. I remember my cholesterol being ok but apart from that what should I be getting back in the results? Would iron levels fall under this test?

daithi1970

GPs should not be charging patients for either blood testing, or for the phlebotomy if they are drawing the blood themselves-

All expenses incurred in transportation and testing of pathology samples comes out of the local Pathology Lab (and indirectly the hse) budget.

In a lot of cases, the gps ring up the labs for consultations and interpretations of lab results, so don't get ripped off by gps looking to charge for interpretations/lab tests, theyr'e already getting these services for free!

daithi

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Anyone who has ever gone to a vets will know how much blood test actually cost and it aint 25 euro, any fee a GP charges is to cover the nurses time or doctors time to take the blood, write the lab slips and handle the paperwork, ring the results to you etc. A number of GP do not charge for this, but some do.

huskerdu

daithi1970 wrote: »

GPs should not be charging patients for either blood testing, or for the phlebotomy if they are drawing the blood themselves-

All expenses incurred in transportation and testing of pathology samples comes out of the local Pathology Lab (and indirectly the hse) budget.

Can you explain this ?

As a private patient of of GP, my GP takes the bloods and the local hospital does the analysis for free. However, the blood has to be transported to the hospital by me or the GP. I have never heard ( in 25 years of going to various GPs) of any HSE money to fund transportation of the blood samples to the hospital for private patients of GPs.

In my case, the GP does all non-emergency blood tests on a particular day of the week and takes them all down to the hospital after surgery ends.