Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

HSE Winter Plan 2022-2023: HSE

Mr. Damien McCallion:

I will make two brief points. In the context of the Deputy's point about salaried GPs, and as she will know, discussions are ongoing on the new GP contract. That includes the ongoing expansion of the number of people who will be eligible for free care. There are scenarios in which GPs are employed to cover in certain centres.

In respect of the local injury units, LIUs, and to go back to the Deputy's original question, we have opened one new LIU in Mullingar. There is a review ongoing to look at whether there are other places where we could support that. We are also looking at staffing those units and extending their hours through the winter. Funding is available to expand their hours in order to try to make them consistent. We promote those units actively through various social media channels, local radio and so on through the winter. There is funding set aside for that. One of the challenges-----

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