Eoin Ó Broin
Question:189. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure an adequate provision of general practitioner services for the expanding population of Lucan, County Dublin. [13603/21]
View answerThursday, 11 March 2021
Questions (189)
Written answers
The Government has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention in general practice, these measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
These include changes to the entry provisions to the GMS scheme to accommodate more flexible/shared GMS GP contracts, and to the retirement provisions for GPs under the GMS scheme, allowing GPs to hold GMS contracts until their 72nd birthday. Supports for rural GP practices have been enhanced, while the 2019 Agreement also includes increased support for GPs working in disadvantaged urban areas.
The 2019 Agreement on GP contractual reforms will see the Government increase investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023, providing for significant increases in capitation fees for GPs who participate in the reform programme and the introduction of new fees and subsidies for additional services such as the chronic disease programme.
Improved family friendly arrangements are an important feature of the revised contractual arrangements, with an increase in the locum rate for maternity and paternity cover, and an increase in the paternity leave allowance from 3 days to 2 weeks.
In addition, the number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over the past ten years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 214 in 2020, with a further increase foreseen in 2021. The ICGP noted a record number of applications for the 2021 GP training programme.