Skip to main content
Normal View

General Practitioner Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 December 2019

Thursday, 12 December 2019

Questions (187)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

187. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the action taken to support general practitioner practices in disadvantaged urban areas. [52256/19]

View answer

Written answers

The Agreement concluded with the IMO in May 2019 on a major package of GP contractual reforms will make general practice a more attractive and sustainable career option, to the benefit of both doctors and patients.

The comprehensive service development and reform agreement will see an increase in expenditure on GP services of €210 million annually by 2023, providing significant increases in capitation fees for participating GPs, as well as additional fees and subsidies for new services.

As part of the deal, it has also been agreed that the GP rural practice allowance will be increased in 2020 and that targeted funding of €2 million will be set aside to provide additional support to practices in deprived urban areas.

The Department, the HSE, and the IMO, are now collaborating to determine how the latter arrangement will operate, including the most appropriate basis on which to identify practices requiring additional supports and how the funding can best be used on an ongoing basis from next year.

Top
Share