Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are 26,700 residents in private nursing homes and 5,600 residents in public nursing homes. The enhanced community care programme and the chronic disease management programme were agreements between GPs, the HSE and the Department, but GPs are not paid under these programmes for dealing with residents in public and private nursing homes. As a result, private nursing homes face a significant problem in getting GPs to provide care in these nursing homes. As a result, some of these nursing homes are physically paying GPs to provide care for medical card patients. This is about keeping people in nursing homes and out of hospitals. The only way to do this is by having a comprehensive medical card programme provided by GPs in each of these nursing homes for the residents there who are entitled to it.

What efforts are being made by the Department to engage with GPs to make sure we can have that scheme put in place for all residents in all public and private nursing homes?

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