Leo Varadkar recently announced his intention to clamp down on welfare fraud. But could doctors be facilitating the problem by declaring patients unfit for work when the opposite is actually true?
Dr. Ruairi Hanley believes there is a link between GPs and welfare fraud. He says that fraud is widespread, but is not being acknowledged by doctors due to "political correctness."
"The vast majority of people play fair, but it's clear that GPs have no control over the system because they find it very difficult to say no."
According to Ruairi, research has shown that, in 2011, "40,000 people who had been declared unfit for work by their GP were assessed independently by medical examiners. Of those, 11,000 were found to actually be fit for work. Another 13,000 who were summoned for the independent medical never turned up."
In addition to this, as many as one in twelve Irish adults are being declared disabled.
Ruairi feels the responsibility should be taken out of the hands of GPs and given to independent medical examiners.
"The doctor's job is to treat the illness, not determine who gets the sick cert. We're not referees for the social welfare system."
Dr. Ruairi Hanley joins us for The Last Word on Health every Wednesday.
