Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Health the additional funding being provided to out-of-hours general practitioner services in winter 2020; and the local breakdown of the allocation in tabular form. [52431/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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General practitioners contracted under the GMS scheme must make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum/deputy, for emergencies outside normal practice hours. As part of their regular obligations, GPs are contracted to provide all-hours access for GMS patients. Most GPs do this through regional GP cooperatives. GP cooperatives are private companies that provide out-of-hours services (i.e. weeknights, weekends, and public holidays).

The HSE supports the provision of these services in terms of infrastructure, call handling, and recruiting nursing staff. Currently, over 90% of the population has access to an out-of-hours GP services.

The provision of GP Out of Hours services forms an important part of service user needs in the Winter period. Each CHO area has established a Winter Action Team in conjunction with acute hospital colleagues, and each team prioritises the allocation of dedicated additional Winter funding based on local service needs and priorities.

The table below sets out the additional funding to be allocated to GP Out of Hours services in 2020 and where relevant in the 2019 Winter Period. CHO Midwest have advised that €60,000 has been allocated from their Winter funding allocation for the enhancement of GP Out of Hours services as provided by Shannondoc.