William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

703. To ask the Minister for Health to facilitate people unable to register with a GP due to the shortage by allowing them to attend out-of-hours services in the short-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9448/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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. As of the start of February there are 2,541 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme.

GPs who hold a GMS contract are required by their contract to make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made by their patients with them, or a locum or deputy, for emergencies outside of normal practice hours. Most GPs participate in GP out of hours co-operatives as a means of meeting this requirement, such services facilitate the provision of GP services outside of normal surgery hours to GMS patients and private patients. GP cooperatives are private organisations.

GP OOH services are intended for urgent GP care needed outside of normal surgery hours. Routine and regularly scheduled GP care involves a continuity of care best suited to the patient's own GP practice and should be scheduled with that practice during normal hours.

A number of measures have been taken in recent years to increase the number of GPs practicing in the State and thereby improve access to GP services for all patients across the country.

Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice was increased by €211.6m. This provided for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees for additional services and increased practice supports. The GP Agreement 2023 further increased GP capitation fees, increased the existing subsidy rates for practice staff, and introduced a grant support for additional staff capacity as well a practice staff maternity leave support. These measures make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice for doctors.

Annual intake to the GP training scheme has been increased by approximately 80% from 2019 to 2024, with 350 new entrant training places made available from 2024. 346 new entrants commenced training last year, a 21% increase on the previous year’s intake of 286.

Furthermore, recruitment of GPs from abroad commenced in 2023 under the joint HSE and ICGP International Medical Graduate (IMG) Rural GP Programme. 114 IMG GPs were in practice as of October last and funding has been provided to recruit up to 250 more GPs from outside Ireland to the country this year.