Written answers

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of Liam TwomeyLiam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure equal access to general practitioner services in all Health Service Executive regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57358/12]

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Government is embarking on a major reform programme for the health system. The aim of this reform is to deliver a single-tier health service that will deliver equal access to care based on need, not income.

A fundamental element in the reform process involves significant strengthening of primary care services to deliver universal primary care (UPC) with the removal of cost as a barrier to access to General Practitioner (GP) services.

UPC will be achieved on a phased basis over the lifetime of the Government. The first phase will provide for the extension of access to GP services without fees to persons with illnesses or disabilities to be prescribed by regulations under the new legislation. The legislation is currently being drafted by the Attorney General's office and is expected to be published shortly.

At present, approximately 40% of the population are eligible for free GP care under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. The current GMS contract stipulates that General Practitioners "shall provide for eligible persons, on behalf of the HSE, all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a GP and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree which GPs cannot reasonably be expected to possess"

The Programme for Government provides for the introduction of a new GMS contract with an increased emphasis on the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. It is envisaged that the new contract, when finalised, will focus on prevention and will include a requirement for GPs to provide care as part of integrated multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams.

The Department and the HSE are currently examining the changes that need to be made to the GMS contract to facilitate the introduction of Universal Primary Care.

The Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Act 2012 came into effect on 12th March 2012. The Act provides for the elimination of restrictions on GPs wishing to obtain contracts to treat public patients under the GMS Scheme by opening up access to all fully qualified and vocationally trained GPs. By 30th November 2012, 97 GPs had been granted a GMS contract by the HSE under the provisions of the Act. 33 further applications are currently being processed.

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