Consultation charges in Ireland deter a large proportion of patients from seeing the GP: results of a cross-sectional survey.

Objective: To estimate the effect of a consultation charge on the health-seeking behaviour of patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of patients carried out in Northern Ireland, where services are free at the point of delivery, and the Republic of Ireland, where 70% of the population are charged a consultation fee to see the general practitioner (GP).

Results: There were 11 870 respondents to the survey (response rate 52%).