Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is universal agreement that having more services in primary care is better for patients and also results in fewer hospital visits. Let us take a look at exactly what we have been doing in primary care since 2011, rather than at the previous Administration. Forty-six primary care centres have been delivered since March 2011. There are an additional 50 locations where primary care infrastructure is under construction or at an advanced planning stage. Primary care teams and personnel are being put in place. Clinical programmes are being developed. A new contract with the GPs is being negotiated. We have moved ahead with the diabetes cycle of care for type 2 diabetes, also delivered in the community. We have introduced an asthma programme for those under six. We have introduced free GP care for both those over 70 and those under six. We are negotiating a new contract with GPs and, subject to this, will further extend GP care to children under 12. We have increased the number of discretionary medical cards from 52,200 in June 2014 to over 90,000 now.

We have introduced a project to standardise the accreditation process for minor surgery in GP practices. This is far more meaningful than it sounds. This project will involve a network of 24 GPs across 20 locations in 11 counties. In the past, GPs were responsible for carrying out many minor surgeries in the community but this was not recognised as such. We are now determined, rather than being dazzled by the high-tech and the high-spec, to move back into primary care, and that is what we are doing.

What we have done in mental health, I think everyone agrees, has been quite spectacular. This was at a time when this country, when we came to power, had four months' funding left.

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