Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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816. To ask the Minister for Health the number of GP services that are available, by head of population, in counties Cavan and Monaghan between Monday and Friday, between 9am to 5pm; the way the catchment system for GP clinics is worked out (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51853/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a contract with the HSE for the provision of health services such as the GMS contract for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card patients. As GPs are self-employed they may establish practices at a place of their own choosing.

Medical card and GP visit card holders that experience difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area), can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list.

People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. It is expected that clinicians consider the importance of patients having access to a GP service close to home when deciding whether or not to accept private patients.

The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas. It has implemented a number of measures and increased investment in general practice significantly to improve recruitment and retention. The number of GPs entering training has increased steadily over the past number of years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 258 in 2022, and following the transfer of GP training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), the ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026. These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.

In relation to the number of HSE contracted GPs in counties Cavan and Monaghan, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.