Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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722. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a GMS panel might be frozen when a doctor relocates retires or resigns from the GMS scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4629/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Where a vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes actively involved in the selection process to find a replacement GP. 

GMS panels may be frozen prior to a post becoming vacant and for a period of 3 months after the vacant post has been filled. This helps ensure that the GMS list does not diminish and is still attractive to entice a new GP to apply for the vacant position permanently and to make the panel viable.

After the period concerned, GMS patients may apply to change their GP in the normal fashion through the HSE website.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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723. To ask the Minister for Health the number of GMS panels frozen by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4630/23]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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724. To ask the Minister for Health the number of GMS panels by town in County Kildare that are currently frozen; the duration of the freeze; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4631/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 723 and 724 together.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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725. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the severe shortage of available spaces on GP lists in north County Dublin; the steps that his Department is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4636/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.

Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently there are 2,533 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme. Where a vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes actively involved in the recruitment process to find a replacement GP. As of the 1st of January, 32 GMS panels (or just over 1%) are vacant, and there are four GMS vacancies in Dublin North.

Where a person who holds a medical card or GP visit card experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned 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.

The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and is working to ensure patients across the country continue to have access to GP services and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.

Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice has been increased now by €211.6m. This provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees and subsidies for additional services. Improvements to GP’s maternity and paternity leave arrangements, increased rural practice supports and a support for GPs in disadvantaged urban areas, have also been provided for.

In addition, a steady increase has been seen in the number of doctors entering GP training over recent years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 258 in 2022. Working with the ICGP, it is aimed 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. 

Furthermore, due to commence shortly, a strategic review of GP services will be completed this 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.