Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

I welcome the Deputy's comments regarding opening up the GMS scheme to all GPs. He is correct that there is a shortage of GPs. We have increased the number of training places this year from 120 to 157. We have also greatly increased the number of medical students. The big challenge will be to keep those students of medicine in Ireland or in medicine anywhere because a fair number of medical students do not subsequently stay in medicine. A large number also leave the country, some for reasons of training and others on a more permanent basis.

We have a number of challenges such as opening up access. It is not fair that not all GPs have access to the GMS scheme. The terms of the GMS contract require the parties to agree and to give notice of an intention to break the contract. I have sought the advice of the Attorney General because contracts cannot go against the law. A number of GPs do not have access to the GMS practice and are very agitated, and rightly so. Those issues need to be addressed in the interest of fairness and equity but also in the interests of having wider access to general practitioners with a GMS contract.

The primary care teams involve individuals working together in a different way. I accept there are deficits in the system. Even if all health professionals are working in the community and working better together on a team basis, that in itself has significant benefits for patients.

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