Written answers

Tuesday, 15 February 2022

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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84. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the implementation of the 2019 Agreement on Contractual Reform and Service Development for General Practice; the additional investment per annum this will enable by Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7968/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In return for GPs’ cooperation with the service developments and reforms outlined in the 2019 Agreement on a reformed GP contract, the Government committed to increasing investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023. To date, €206.6 million of this funding has been allocated: €27.3 million in 2019; €53.2 million in 2020; €63 million in 2021 and €63 million this year.

The Agreement provides for increases in capitation fees, new fees for additional services such as the chronic disease management (CDM) programme, improved maternity and paternity arrangements as well as enhanced supports for rural practices. In addition, targeted on-going funding of €2 million will also be set aside to provide additional support to practices in deprived urban areas. The Agreement requires that GPs cooperate with a wide-ranging set of modernisation measures in the areas of eHealth, medicines management and multidisciplinary working.

96% of GPs with GMS contracts have signed up to the reform and modernisation programme.

There has been considerable progress in the roll out of the CDM programme with 94% of eligible GPs providing the service to date. GPs have also rolled out therapeutic phlebotomy to patients with haemochromatosis, as set out in the Agreement. In addition, GPs have demonstrated their commitment to the eHealth agenda and hospital waiting list initiative and have also cooperated with the Streamlining and Coordination measures in the Agreement including the development of complaints policies and procedures, premises standards and practice profiles.

However, it is noted that there has been implementation delay in some areas due to the impact of Covid-19. Given the significant nature of the change programmes involved and the level of IT development required, it is reasonable to anticipate that there will be elements of the roll-out of these initiatives that will need to continue into 2023 to bring the programme to completion. This has been acknowledged by all the parties to the Agreement.

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