Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a combination of factors. There are inappropriate referrals. Ask any speech and language therapist, any physiotherapist or any consultant and they will tell one about inappropriate referrals, namely people who should not have been sent to them in the first place. This happens, unfortunately, and needs to be better addressed. I hope the e-referral system over the next several years will allow us to tackle this well.

The Deputy is correct that there are issues in general practice. People have been referred to consultants and hospitals for 24-hour holter monitoring or minor surgical procedures, all of which could be done in general practice if it were properly funded and GPs were remunerated accordingly. That is one of the items that is now in discussion as part of the new GMS, general medical services, contract, namely better remuneration for GPs and encouraging them to do 24-hour monitoring, suturing and other minor procedures. The minor surgery pilot is already funded for this year to cover some of these.

There is a mix of issues involved. However as I said earlier, anyone who is waiting a year or more for an outpatient appointment should have that by the end of the year with the exception of a few small specialties where the specialists do not exist.

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