Joe Higgins
Question:52 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the fact that secondary prevention of health issues in general practice has failed due to the workload of those working in general practice. [22810/02]
Written Answers. - General Practitioners Service.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the initial implementation phase of a national programme in general practice for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease which commenced on 1 October 2002. The programme is being undertaken by my Department and the health authority or boards in partnership with the Irish college of General Practitioners and the Irish Heart Foundation. This programme funds part of the implementation of the cardiovascular health strategy. The programme is being overseen by a national steering committee chaired by Professor John Feely, professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, and consists of key stakeholders.
The selection criteria for GPs to the programme have been agreed and are being issued to GPs at present. It is envisaged that all GPs participating in the programme will be recruited by early 2003. It is planned that the initial phase will run until the end of 2003 and the continuation of the programme will be based on independent evaluation to be undertaken.
During the initial phase about 13,000 patients will be treated under this programme by 440 GPs throughout the country. Patients with a history of the following areas are eligible for the first phase and will be invited to join the programme: proven myocardial infarction – MI; coronary artery bypass graft – CABG or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty – PTCA. A national programme centre is being established and managed by a programme director and programme manager. In addition, an independent data centre will also be established as a collection point for all data returned by GPs and their practices. It will distribute aggregated clean data to key interested parties, including health boards. Patient and GP confidentiality is secured through the structural arrangements being put in place.
The aim of the programme is to implement and evaluate the first phase of a structured programme of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The specific objectives are to examine the baseline levels of risk factors and therapeutic interventions relevant to secondary prevention and their trends over time; to examine the processes involved in implementing the programme including the referral process and patient retention and to record the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients participating in the programme. An independent evaluation of the initial phase will be commissioned by the national steering committee to recommend on the continuation and or expansion of the programme post the initial phase period of one year.