Written answers

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of Naoise Ó MuiríNaoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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517. To ask the Minister for Health the entitlements available to general practitioners under the general medical scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40254/25]

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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General practitioners who hold a GMS contract are reimbursed for the services they provide to medical card and GP visit card holders on behalf of the HSE. GMS GPs are remunerated through capitation payments and fee-per-item payments for certain services. Practices also receive a range of financial supports under the GMS scheme.

The financial supports available to eligible GMS GPs/GP practices include practice staff supports, locum contributions for leave taking, rural practice supports, and a support for practices in urban areas of deprivation. A contribution to GMS GPs medical indemnity insurance is also paid.

Regarding practice staff supports, GPs are paid a subsidy towards the cost of employing a practice nurse and/or a practice secretary. The rate payable depends on the GP's GMS panel size and the level of experience of the nurse or secretary. Payments are made to participating GPs with a panel size of at least 100 GMS patients and are based on the size of the GMS patient panel. The maximum payment is applicable at a panel size of 1,200 or more patients; payments made to panels less than 1,200 are made on a pro-rata basis. A practice manager subsidy is also available.

The rate of these subsidies was increased under the 2023 GP Agreement. The agreement also added General Practice Assistant to the staff subsidies available, and introduced a new support grant for additional staff capacity of up to €15,000, as well as a staff support for the taking of maternity leave.

Eligible GMS GPs are provided with locum contributions for various types of leave taking, such as annual leave, sick leave, and study leave. The contribution rates may vary by type and duration, per day or per week, with the locum contribution rates for maternity and paternity leave doubled under the 2019 GP Agreement.

GMS GPs working in rural areas who meet the qualifying criteria receive an annual rural practice support allowance under the Rural Practice Support Framework. The 2019 GP Agreement increased the practice support package for rural GP practices by 10%. Practices in receipt of rural practice supports attract the maximum allowable rates for practice staff support subsidies and locum contributions for leave taking.

A new locum support initiative commenced in May, providing GPs in receipt of rural practice supports with access to a streamlined locum sourcing service. While the GPs themselves cover the cost of the locum, the HSE bears the cost of securing the locum. The initiative specifically targets GPs receiving rural practice supports, with an initial focus on single-handed GPs working in isolated areas.

Finally, the 2019 GP Agreement also introduced a €2 million per annum support for GP practices in disadvantaged urban areas. The funding may be used for additional health personnel costs or for the provision of additional services.

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