Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for taking time out of their busy schedules and for the work they are doing for general practitioners throughout the country and for their own patients.

On the contract negotiations, there is always a golden rule that if one wants to delay something, particularly if one is the person writing the cheque, one should create a division between the negotiators.

Is there some level of co-operation between the medical organisations that would help remove the excuses from the Department about trying to exclude these negotiations? I raised a question earlier about identifying an area that we could fast-track and the reply was that this has to be taken in an overall context. However, we need to prioritise ensuring that we can retain our current practices while also growing them in areas where we need them. The lack of support for practice nurses within the current contract arises. Could that issue be fast-tracked to assist the organisations? They may have identified other areas but that area arose earlier in the discussion.

Another issue concerns access to diagnostic services. Given that this is not really part of the contract negotiations, although it is in an overall context, has there been any negotiation with the HSE at local level, whether in Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Dublin or elsewhere, about trying to make information relating to diagnostic services available more speedily? Are individual discussions taking place? Could such discussions take place? It would be of assistance to GPs when dealing with their patients and would provide a far more comprehensive and faster service.