Written answers

Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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664. To ask the Minister for Health the current position regarding the drafting of legislation for the GP card for children under seven years, as provided for in budget 2023; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22754/23]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to increasing access to GP care without charges for children, an important healthcare measure that will remove a potentially prohibitive cost barrier to accessing GP care and will help to improve children’s health as they develop. At present all children under six years of age are eligible for a GP visit card and therefore GP care without charges.

The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020 provides, amongst other things, for the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under. It is currently planned to expand the provision of GP care without charges to all children aged 6 and 7.

My officials and the HSE have made preparations for this expansion. Engagements were held with the IMO, representing GPs, throughout last year, and engagement is ongoing in relation to the necessary fee structures for this service. It is intended to introduce the expansion as early as possible.

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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665. To ask the Minister for Health if he agrees that there is a need to introduce salaried GPs in view of the interest in medical graduates in working in this way and as a means of urgently addressing the serious shortage of GPs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22755/23]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish model of general practice is based on private practice, and all GPs providing GP services in Ireland currently are private practitioners. This model has allowed the State to make provision for access to care for the most vulnerable while allowing GPs to develop their practices and sub-specialisations in line with the needs of their patients. It has also allowed the avoidance of any distinction in service delivery between public and private patients.

The Government has taken a number of actions, and has significantly increased investment in general practice, to increase the number of GPs working in the State and to improve access to services. Both interest in general practice training and the number of new entrants undertaking this training have increased in recent years. The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased from 193 in 2019 to 258 in 2022, with 285 places training places planned for this year rising to 350 by 2026.

However, there are recognised challenges in accessing GPs in some parts of the country, often in rural or more deprived areas, and I am open to looking at whether salaried GPs would be a possible solution to such access issues. It should be noted that any proposed model involving salaried GP positions would require careful consideration to ensure the required level of service could be provided for medical card and GP visit card holders.

Under the upcoming Strategic Review of General Practice, consideration will be given to the possible role of HSE-employed GPs, as part of a wider examination of the GP capacity issue. The Terms of Reference for the Strategic Review were published last month and the review will be completed this year.

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