James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

The programme for Government provides for the introduction of a new GMS contract with general practitioners, with an increased emphasis on the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. I envisage that the new contract will also focus on prevention and will include a requirement for GPs to provide care as part of integrated multidisciplinary primary care teams. My colleague, Deputy Shortall, the Minister of State at my Department, is very much involved in this. She will answer a question on this subject later and will give the House greater detail.

The preparation of a revised contract will be advanced by my Department and Health Service Executive officials. There will be a full consultation process with relevant stakeholders.

New contractual arrangements for medical consultants were agreed with their representative organisations, the IHCA and the IMO, in 2008, following more than four years of protracted and detailed negotiations. Currently 2,087 consultants hold the 2008 contract, while approximately 396 consultants continue to work under the 1997 contract. The 2008 contract provides for consultants to work as part of a team over an extended working day of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., an increase in the length of the working week and also structured weekend work. It also includes new private practice provisions ranging from a total prohibition on such practice to an upper limit of 20% for newly appointed consultants and up to 30% for consultants who previously held the 1997 contract.

The successful implementation of the consultant contract 2008 continues to be a priority for my Department and the HSE. The executive has been focusing, in particular, on provisions aimed at maximising consultant availability to public patients. In due course the contract will be subject to review in the context of reform of the health services as set out in the programme for Government and changes to the model for delivery of services.

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