Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and I know she is passionate about this issue, particularly her concern about people's mental health and well-being over the coming winter.

The winter plan addresses the role of GPs. GPs have been under pressure and working on the frontline has meant many of them are exhausted. GPs and their teams of nurses and other workers deserve a lot of praise.

I agree with the concerns about the flu vaccine expressed by Senator Martin. We must ensure that there is an adequate supply. I know from talking to GPs in Wexford that there are still some concerns about supply.

I wish to raise two specific issues about the plan. The first issue concerns the community intervention teams. Most counties are covered by community intervention teams with the exception of counties Longford, Westmeath, Mayo, Donegal and Wexford. There is a plan to put community intervention teams in place but a commitment in the winter plan says that they may not be in place by March. I hope that we will be out of our winter by March. One of the big problems is that one in four GP practices in rural Ireland has only one GP and local cover is essential. Therefore, community intervention teams must be in place to provide adequate access to healthcare.

I wish to comment on GP access to diagnostics. Due to the fact that there is limited access many patients are being referred directly to hospital emergency departments, which is an inefficient use of resources. The significant number of proposed additional diagnostics is welcome. It will be nearly 34,000 by the end of this year and more than 45,000 in the first quarter of next year. Who will perform the scans and X-rays? Where will the staff be located? How will GPs access all of the additional diagnostics? That information must be clearly spelled out.