Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and welcome Professor O'Connor and the members of the Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP. I thank them for coming in this morning. Since we are dealing with the primary care module this morning, I will concentrate on that. To give the witnesses an opportunity to answer my questions I will limit them to a minute if I can. Professor O'Connor referred to an approved clinician at the beginning. Will she expand on that role? Will she address the issue of general practice, early intervention and the GP as a gatekeeper? The appropriate initial referral, or no referral as the case may be in many cases, is the first act which will direct people to the proper person and will substantially reduce waiting lists if people are referred appropriately. I am in the happy position of being on first-name terms with all the mental health personnel in my area and I can pick the phone up and make a priority referral at the drop of a hat. Depending on electronic referrals is fine but a personal phone call is the best referral system I can think of. Will the witnesses address the issue of social determinants of health and mental health and how it ties in with the inverse care law where the people who need care most get it least? Will the witnesses talk about talk therapy because there is serious over-medication in mental health care, which is probably a reflection of the lack of talk therapy services that are available? The most recent report on health care reform is the Sláintecare report, which covered the entire health service. Sláintecare has the nuts and bolts of how we should attract people into our service and how we should populate our primary care teams, particularly our community psychiatric teams. Will the witnesses address those issues? We know the answers and the solutions but the problem is the implementation. How do the witnesses believe we can implement change?