Written answers

Thursday, 8 March 2018

Department of Health

General Practitioner Contracts

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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366. To ask the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in negotiating a new general practitioner contract; and timeframe to complete these negotiations. [11414/18]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to delivering more non-acute care within the primary care sector, so that better care close to home can be provided for communities around the country.

General Practitioners play an important role in the primary care system. It is generally accepted that there is a need to modernise the current GMS contract and ensure that general practice is a viable and rewarding career for medical graduates. My aim is to develop a contract which has a population health focus, providing in particular for health promotion and disease prevention and for the structured ongoing care of chronic conditions. A new contract must be flexible and be able to respond to the changing nature of the GP workforce. It must also include provisions in relation to service quality and standards, performance, accountability and transparency.

It is essential that engagement on GP contractual issues is aimed squarely at meeting the substantial challenges, current and future, the health service and general practice face. The latest phase of engagement with GP representatives commenced in January 2017, and discussions were progressed on a wide range of items throughout 2017.  Discussions are currently paused, and, at my request, officials of my Department are working with their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and in the HSE to ensure that the overall approach is focused fully on the strategic challenges and on the Government’s health services reform agenda. It is important to ensure that any new contract will result in service improvements across general practice benefitting both patients and GPs.

I expect that engagement with GP representative bodies will recommence shortly. I look forward to further progress in the coming months on the GP contract.

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