Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To take up the point about trying to take the pressure from our hospital system, the GP contract is absolutely essential. If hospital centred care is to be transferred to community centred care, it will most likely be a GP-led primary care service. There is significant potential for the management of chronic illness in primary care if the potential is released, but we have a huge manpower problem in general practice. Some 33% of the GP population is aged more than 55 years of age. There will be a huge manpower gap, if care and services are transferred to primary care, because the GPs are not on the ground. However, there is huge potential for taking pressure from the hospital system. The added potential is to integrate primary care with secondary care because there is a major gap between primary and secondary care. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony spoke about communication. That there is little communication between primary care and secondary care in terms of discussing patients and developing services is a significant problem. All that has to be taken into account when talking about changing the service and taking pressure from our hospital services.