The patients’ union (Osak) has received complaints over the conduct of personal doctors within the general health system (Gesy), with its president Miltos Miltiadous saying on Monday that isolated cases must be addressed.

Miltiadous said the union had received both recent and previous complaints concerning the management of beneficiaries by specific personal doctors, while stressing that overall satisfaction with the institution remained high.

“In isolated cases, improper behaviour has been observed, which for us as a Federation are unacceptable,” he said.

Among the complaints received, Miltiadous said were reports from some beneficiaries of being removed from a personal doctor’s list after requesting a referral, while others claimed doctors refused to issue referrals, citing either a lack of medical justification or restrictions set by the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO).

But the HIO later said there was no restriction on personal doctors issuing referrals, stressing that referrals should be made following a clinical examination and where medically necessary.

Senior HIO officer Petros Neophytou said that the aim was not to limit referrals but to prevent abuse.

Neophytou said the organisation monitors referral patterns through an index comparing personal doctors, but stressed that it does not operate as a limit on the number of referrals a doctor can issue.

He said doctors issuing significantly more referrals than the average do not receive additional compensation provided through the index, explaining that the system rewards doctors who meet certain criteria rather than penalising those who do not.

“The index is not punitive,” he said, adding that the objective was to ensure appropriate use of the system.

On the issue of patients being removed from personal doctors’ lists, Neophytou said any deletion must be documented and justified.

He said complaints on the matter were limited, but where cases were reported they were examined individually to determine whether the removal was justified.

“The personal doctor is the pillar of the system,” Miltiadous said, adding that Gesy’s system was built around the role of the personal doctor and that measures were needed to address such issues.

He said Osak had raised concerns in meetings and public interventions, including the need to review certain regulations affecting doctors and patients with chronic conditions.

Some restrictions introduced during the early implementation of the health system had been necessary to prevent abuse, he said, but required reassessment.

Miltiadous also called on patients to use health services responsibly, stressing that Gesy “belongs to everyone” and that its proper use was important for future generations.

He added that Osak would continue working with the HIO and beneficiaries to improve the operation of the system.