Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I see merit in the NTPF, regardless of past political debates. I acknowledge that the Deputy's party established it. If I was to be objective, in the past perhaps the NTPF cherry-picked patients somewhat, and the point the Deputy and I would agree on is that this time it must target those waiting the longest. That has to be the difference.

With regard to the increase in attendances and the impact it is having on bed capacity and the like, the attendances at emergency departments have increased by approximately 5% so far this year to date. It is a very significant extra capacity for our health service to develop. In other countries a number of those people would not be seen in an emergency department because services would be provided within the community.

That is why I genuinely believe the answer to this lies in a new general practitioner, GP, contract. It will be hard fought and not easily won. We are operating off a contract that is 44 years old and we will begin the engagement before the end of this year between GPs, the HSE and the Department of Health on what a new, modern fit-for-purpose GP contract would look like. The more people that we can treat in the community the fewer people will need to go the acute hospitals. That will free up the beds for the people who need to be in the acute hospitals. That is not a criticism of people attending emergency departments, as sometimes they have nowhere else to go, but we need to do more in the area of primary care.

I answered Deputy Kelleher's earlier question about the bed capacity review, which will give us an accurate view of what we need to do in regard to future bed capacity. It needs to examine bed capacity not only in the acute hospitals but across the health service and that will be done in time for the Government's mid-term capital review, which will take place in the middle of next year, so that we know what the ask of health is at that stage.

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