Seanad debates
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage
12:00 pm
Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
It is great to have the Minister here. Rarely have I received so much support for a Bill, obviously from GPs who are trying to access the GMS list, but also from patients. It is difficult to think of another Act of the Oireachtas that would have such an immediate positive impact on the lives of so many people once passed into law. Is it not great to see such cross-party support on all sides of the House? Thousands of patients are waiting on the passage of this Bill in order to access medical services. I obviously support the Bill and would like to see it passed speedily to give all fully qualified GPs access to the GMS list.
I was struck by the story of a qualified GP who has been qualified for 20 years. She worked in Blanchardstown as a GP in the GMS. As her husband's job was decentralised to Galway, she was obliged to resign her post for family reasons and has since been unable to see GMS patients because of the inequity of the system up to now. She has worked on and off for other GPs and in the hospice in Galway. Approximately a year ago she opened her own practice. She has many patients calling every day asking when she will be able to sign them up. She has said that some are forced to pay to see her even though it is not financially easy for them to do so in order to attend their doctor of choice. A right is being taken away from patients and it is wrong to turn patients away. So we see value in the Bill for that reason.
The Bill is definitely a step forward in the provision of good primary care services close to the patient's home and it offers a level playing pitch to all GPs. It is also welcome for younger doctors who can now see a career path and will be less likely to emigrate having been educated at the expense of the taxpayer. I am familiar with a young doctor who has been abroad and acquired considerable expertise. He came home and did his best to access the list. When he could not do that, he left a year ago. He gained expertise from conflict situations and had great zeal and a sense of social justice. Those are the values we should be espousing.
The Bill also offers a great return for the taxpayer and is one of the most impressive results of the requirements of the EU-IMF deal. How many of us can stand up here and say we are absolutely delighted with everything the EU and IMF want? I cannot say that, but I am impressed by this. It was meant to be passed in the third quarter of 2011 and we need to implement it without delay for the sake of everybody. How does the Minister believe the Bill will feed into our vision of universal health care and primary care centres?
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