Dr. Diarmuid Quinlan:

First, I agree with Dr. Ní Dhálaigh that women’s healthcare has been historically under-prioritised. The ICGP has recently commenced a community gynaecology course, with more than 200 GPs logging on for each module of that. With the HSE, we interviewed and are due to appoint a women’s health lead. These are very positive steps. However, I agree with Dr. Ní Dhálaigh that there is substantially more that we can do.

Coming back to the expansion of GP care to children, in principle, it is a fantastic aspiration. However, in practice, giving free GP care when we know many patients across Ireland already have substantial difficulty accessing their GP in a timely fashion increases the burden and demand on an already constrained service. Therefore, while it is a very noble aspiration, we need to recognise that we are in a difficult place in terms of our workforce in general practice and our ability to deliver that care.