Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2021
804. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners who will be called upon to administer the Covid-19 vaccine by local electoral area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5624/21]
View answerFollowing consultation with the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish Pharmacy Union, the fees payable to GPs and pharmacists for the administration of vaccines against Covid-19 have been set. In accordance with the COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy and Implementation Plan, GPs (as well as pharmacists) may administer vaccines against Covid-19 at their practice premises, another suitable location, or in HSE-run mass vaccination centres.
All GPs can administer vaccines against Covid-19 and will be eligible to receive payment for same. While no central register exists specifically for GPs working in Ireland, all doctors in practice in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council. There are currently 4,137 doctors on the Medical Council’s Specialist Register in General Practice, in addition the latest available figures show that 765 doctors on the General Register have described general practice as the category which best describes their current practice of medicine. However, holding registration does not necessarily mean that a medical practitioner is active in general practice at the time.
The number of doctors who provide general practitioner services to patients exclusively on a private basis is not collected by my Department or the HSE. At the start of the year, 3,033 GPs hold a contract with the HSE for the provision of medical services. I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy regarding the number of HSE contracted GPs by local electoral area.
