Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1326. To ask the Minister for Health to clarify the entitlements of GPs under the GMS scheme in relation to practice managers, clinical nurses and secretarial staff, and the criteria for each role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48922/25]

Jennifer 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 2023 GP Agreement also introduced a new support grant for additional staff capacity, as well as a staff support for the taking of maternity leave. GMS GPs with a weighted panel size of 500 or more GMS patients, where weighting is such that patients aged 70 or more are count as two, can access a practice support grant of up to €15,000. The grant can be used towards a practice nurse, practice administrator, practice manager or the new role of GP Practice Assistant. The grant only applies to additional hours for existing staff (increase in hours must be on or after 1st July 2023) or staff hired after the 1st July 2023. Where the annual cost of the additional capacity, whether through an increase in hours of existing staff or the employment of an additional staff member, is less than the grant amount then the lower amount is claimable.