STCs
Special Type Consultations (STCs) are claimed by GPs for services provided to their own GMS & DVC patients that are not included in the capitation agreement, out of hours, or to patients who are not on the practice panel.​
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STC forms can be obtained from your Primary Care Unit.
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STCs should be retained for 6 years in case of audit.
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See below for more information on:
Types of STCs
Out of Hours (STC Code ‘H’)
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Claim for your own patient or your rota/partner’s patient.
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Visit Class is always Night (Code ‘N’).
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Out of Hours times are strictly 17:00 to 09:00 Mon - Fri, Weekends and Bank Holidays but do not include routine surgeries taking place during those hours, or overflow from normal hours.
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Out of Hours claims cannot be submitted for consultations taking place during contracted or routine surgery hours.
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Patient Signature is mandatory.
Temporary Residents (STC Code 'T')
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Claim for patients that are in temporary residence away from their normal residence providing the claiming doctor:
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is not the doctor of choice
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is not a partner of the doctor of choice
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is not participating in a Rota arrangement with the doctor of choice
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is not providing services in the same geographical location as the doctor of choice
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Items of Special Service may be claimed in respect of a Temporary Resident.
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Patient signature is mandatory.
EU/EEA/EHIC Claims (STC Code 'C')
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Only STC code ‘C’ should be entered in respect of an EU/EEA/EHIC claim - Temporary Resident ‘T’ or Emergency ‘E’ codes should not be used.
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STC code ‘C’ claims are not appropriate for people normally resident in Ireland.
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PLEASE NOTE: All fields in the EHIC Card Details panel are mandatory for EHIC claims.
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Patient signature is mandatory.
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It is important for a practice to retain a copy of the documentation confirming the person’s identity.
The details from the individuals European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) should be transcribed to the STC form as follows:
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The prescription serial number if applicable
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State Identifier
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Client's Name
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Client’s Date of Birth
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Client's Personal Identification Number
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Identification Number of the Competent Institution
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Identification Number of the EHIC
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EHIC Expiry Date
In the case of a UK resident there is a separate arrangement for the calculation of costs. It is necessary to confirm the identity of persons from the UK receiving a service. If the person does not have an EHIC, this can be achieved by recording the following information:
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Client’s Name
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Client’s Date of Birth
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Appropriate Number (one of below)
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NHS Number i.e. numeric in the form of 123 456 7899
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Passport Number i.e. numeric in the form of 123456789
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Driving License Number i.e. alpha numeric in the form of MURPHMA123456789 or 123456789
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National Insurance Number i.e. alpha numeric in the form of AB123456C
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Emergency (STC Code ‘E’)
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Claims may be submitted for ‘Treatment of an Urgent Nature’ provided to a GMS patient by a Doctor, other than the Doctor of Choice or a partner of the Doctor of Choice.
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Items of Special Service may be claimed in respect of a patient being treated for an emergency.
Second Medical Opinion (STC Code ‘O’)
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The Doctor of Choice may request a second medical opinion from another doctor, to take place in the patient’s home or in the surgery of the Doctor of Choice.
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The other doctor claiming such a fee must not be in a partnership with the doctor who sought their opinion.
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Both doctors must sign the STC Form.
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'Second Medical Opinion’ must also be written clearly on the form.
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Special Services
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For services provided by the doctor which are not covered by capitation.
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How to Complete an STC Form
STC Code
E = Emergency
T = Temporary
C = Visiting from another country
H = Out of Hours
O = Second Medical Opinion
Form No: (On form)
Claim Date: Date of consultation
Location
S = Surgery
D = Domiciliary
Agency for EU Patient
Visit Class
D = Day between 08:00 – 20:00
L = Late between 20:00 – 24:00
N = Night between 24:00 – 08:00
A = Additional (more than one medical card patient seen on visit)
Distance Code
A = 0-3 miles
B = 3-5 miles
C = 6-7 miles
D = 7-10 miles
E = Over 10 miles
*Distance between patient's home and surgery. Necessary for all OOH claims.
Time: Time of consultation
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Special Service Code: See below table
How to Claim an STC
Most practices now submit STC claims online via the PCRS application suite. Valid claims entered online by the last day of the month, will be paid by the 15th day of the following month. The PCRS reserves the right to audit the original claims from time to time, Accordingly, you are required to retain the original claims (i.e. the original STC forms) securely for a period of no less than six years from the date of the claim.
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Manual claims must be submitted to the PCRS by the 7th day of the month, in order to ensure prompt payment. Should the 7th of the month fall on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline for claims submission will be extended until the close of business on the next working day.
Special Services - Codes & Fees
The below Special Items of Service can be claimed online via the PCRS.
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A GP must be registered with the HSE to provide such services. Registration forms can be obtained from the Primary Care Unit.
LARC STCs
The 2023 Agreement LARC STCs apply to all LARC services provided for those GMS/DVC patients aged 31-44. For those aged 17-30 see Free Contraception Scheme for more information.
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Notes
*This STC code is likely to be removed in time. For patients aged 31-44 use the 2023 Agreement codes from all services provided from August 1st (provided that the GP has signed up to the new agreement).
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**The fee for the removal of a foreign body from the eye applies to the removal of a foreign body adhering to the conjunctival surface and does not apply to the removal of a non- adherent foreign body
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** The fee for the removal of a foreign body from the ear applies to the removal of a foreign body lodged or impacted in the ear and does not apply to the syringing of the ear for the removal of wax
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*** The fee for nebuliser treatment applies in the case of acute asthmatic attack and does not apply in the case of nebuliser treatment provided as a regular routine e.g. in place of inhalers, or provided by other than the doctor e.g. self-administration by a patient having personal use of a nebuliser
COVID-19 Special Services - Codes & Fees
The below Special Items of Service can be claimed online via the PCRS due to the pandemic.
*GPs are reminded to use their best endeavours to ensure that claims relating to Covid special items of service are submitted within 14 working days of the consultation, with the date of consultation being day 1.
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Other Special Services
*The claiming process for this special item of service has been detailed in circular NCO-14- 2020 which included an Registered Medical Practitioner Claim Form. This form is completed by the GP and scanned to pcrs.gpadmissions@hse.ie. On receipt of same PCRS will contact the relevant designated Mental Health Administrative Office at the specified approved centre for approval. Approved application forms will be processed and reimbursed with the next payment due and listed accordingly on monthly itemised listings. The involuntary admission fee will not attract an Out of Hours fee. Claims for an examination of a person and making a recommendation for that person to be involuntarily admitted to an Approved Centre must be submitted within 30 days of providing the service.