Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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631. To ask the Minister for Health the main initiatives that he has taken to develop and expand general practitioner services since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; his plans for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62218/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The 2019 GP Agreement on contractual reform and service development is the largest development in general practice in recent times. The Agreement which is being rolled out from 2019 to 2023, provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GPs, the introduction of new fees and subsidies for additional services, and increased practice supports and allowances. Over €211 million in additional annual investment in general practice has been provided through successive budgets under the Agreement.

The Agreement also provided for the Chronic Disease Management Programme in general practice that commenced operation in 2020. It engages with patients to encourage a pro-active management of four chronic conditions: COPD; diabetes; asthma; and cardiac failure. The Programme has been progressively extended to include all GMS patients suffering from the four conditions, and in 2023 final roll-out, to extend opportunistic case-finding to all aged above 45, will commence. To the end of October this year, GPs conducted 333,000 consultations under the Chronic Disease Management Programme, with over 284,000 patients now registered.

As announced in this year’s Budget, 2023 will see a large increase in eligibility of people for GP access cards. GP care without charges will be expanded to all children aged 6 and 7 as early as possible, and from 1 April 2023, GP care without charges will be expanded to those who earn the median household income of €46,000 or less. This will be supported by a significant package of additional capacity supports to GP practices.

The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased significantly in recent years, increasing to 208 in 2020, 233 in 2021 and 258 in 2022. The responsibility for GP training was transferred from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) in 2021, this allows for the introduction of a new service model for GP training in Ireland and the further expansion GP training capacity in the years ahead. The ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026.

These measures will improve patient access to GP services, by increasing eligibility for GP care without charges while continuing to increase GP capacity, and improve the level of care provided.

Furthermore, due to commence shortly, a strategic review of GP services will be completed next year. The review, with input from key stakeholders, will examine the broad range of issues affecting general practice and will set out the measures necessary to deliver a sustainable general practice into the future.