Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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74. To ask the Minister for Health the status of negotiations on general practitioner contracts; the timeframe envisaged; and his vision for the revised general practitioner contract. [13769/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under a Framework Agreement, signed in 2014, the HSE, the Department of Health and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) are currently engaged in a comprehensive review of the General Medical Services (GMS) and other publicly funded health sector contracts involving GPs.

As a first step in this process, universal GP care without fees for all children under the age of 6 years was successfully introduced in 2015. Shortly afterwards, the second phase implemented universal GP care without fees for all people aged 70 years and over. This has resulted in approximately 800,000 people now being eligible for GP care without fees, without having to undergo a means test. The under-6s GP service contract also included age-based preventive checks focused on health and well-being and also introduced a cycle of care for children with asthma. In October 2015, a specific Diabetes Cycle of Care provided by GPs for adult patients with Type 2 diabetes who hold a medical card or GP visit card was launched.

Earlier this year, an enhanced supports package for rural GP practices was agreed between the IMO, the HSE and the Department of Health. The enhanced package included improved qualifying criteria for rural support and an increase in the financial allowance from €16,216 to €20,000 per annum. In order to support additional services being provided by GPs, the IMO, the HSE and the Department of Health also agreed to revisions to the list of special items of GP service. The revised special items include increased rates of payment for suturing and bladder catheterisation, reflecting the costs and time associated with these services, and the introduction of a 24-hour blood pressure monitoring service by GPs.

In Budget 2016, the Government made financial provision for the extension of GP care without fees to all children aged 6 to 11 years. It is expected that this third phase will bring the total number of those eligible for universal GP care, without having to be assessed by a means test, to approximately 1.2 million people. This will also be subject to on-going negotiation with the IMO in relation to the scope of the service to be provided and the fee arrangements to apply. The Programme for Partnership Government also commits to extending in phases, and subject to negotiation with GPs, the introduction of universal GP care to all children under 18 years of age. The roll-out of free GP care to under-18s and other cohorts of the population will be considered in the context of the funding available and the capacity of GPs to undertake this additional work.

Discussions on other aspects of a new GP contract are ongoing. These will address the changing role of the GP in delivering chronic care within the community, the further development of universal GP care, and how general practice can play its part in addressing the challenges facing the health service.