Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Health
General Practitioner Services
Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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1663. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the provision of improved, grouped, local services for general practice patients, including X-ray facilities and ancillary services to avoid the necessity for patients to attend hospital for minor examinations and procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1951/25]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are private practitioners most of whom hold a GMS contract for the provision of health services to medical card and GP visit card holders. GP services are a vital part of primary care services and most often serve as the entry point to the wider health service.
The development of primary care services supports the delivery of a high-quality, integrated and cost-effective health care system, which reduces the need for hospital attendance. Furthermore, the development of Community Healthcare Networks (CHN’s) and the Enhanced Community Care (ECC) approach provides a structure for the integration of GP care with the wider community service team.
In Budget 2025, the Minister secured recurring annual investment of €195m to enable the continued expansion of primary care services through the ECC programme. Amongst other initiatives, the funding has provided for the full roll-out of 96 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) and enables the continued development of 30 Community Specialist Teams for Older Persons and 30 Community Specialist Teams for the Management of Chronic Disease.
All 96 CHNs are now operational, servicing local populations of 50,000 people per network, and supporting GP’s in providing integrated care. 27 Community Specialist Teams for Older Persons and 26 Community Specialist Teams for Chronic Disease management are operational and are working in an integrated way with general practice and acute services.
The ECC programme represents a significant expansion in primary care capacity and will target recruitment of an additional 3,500 staff overall, with a particular focus on nursing and health and social care professionals. Over 2,800 staff have been onboarded to the programme, which represents 81% of the full recruitment target.
Since 2021, GP’s have increased direct access to MRI, DEXA and CT scans and X-ray via the GP Access to Community Diagnostics initiative. This structured pathway for GPs to directly access diagnostic tests enables a greater level of care to be delivered in the community, supporting patient-centred care, early diagnosis, and early intervention. Funding of almost €47m was allocated in Budget 2025 will deliver up to 240,000 community radiology scans, and 161,000 chronic disease tests through this initiative in 2025.
State of the art Primary Care Centres (PCCs) continue to be developed to support the provision of the very highest standards of primary care. Primary Care Centres are modern, purpose-designed buildings that provide a single location for GPs and primary care teams to work from. As of Q3 2024 there were 177 Primary Care Centres operational nationally and a further seven PCCs are currently in construction.
It is also worth noting that persons can avail of their nearest Injury Unit where appropriate. Injury Units treat recent injuries that are not life-threatening and unlikely to need admission to hospital, for example broken bones, dislocations, and minor burns.
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