Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1849. To ask the Minister for Health if general practitioners can withhold appointments for private non-medical patients. [2103/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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General practice has continued to operate during the Covid-19 public health emergency and GPs see patients face to face where necessary, albeit with infection-control measures in place. 

In response to the pandemic, it has been necessary for GPs to triage patient in-person contact with GP surgeries as much as possible, to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and for the protection of patients and staff. GPs are performing assessments over the phone to determine if a patient needs to attend the surgery or whether a remote phone consultation is suitable. Where clinically indicated, the GP will arrange an appointment to see the patient in the surgery.

Furthermore, GPs have played an integral role in administering COVID-19 booster vaccines recently in order to help protect the community; it is appreciated that this may have impacted on the provision of more routine and non-urgent services.  GPs continued to provide urgent care to all patients during that period.