Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
726. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the staffing entitlements made available through agreements to general practice; the basis on which entitlements are apportioned; if the entitlements of partnership practice are proportional to the number of general practitioners or a flat rate per practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4773/22]
View answerUnder the GMS scheme, GPs are paid a subsidy towards the cost of employing a practice nurse and/or a practice 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. The subsidy rate applies to those staff employed on a full-time basis and for staff not employed on a full-time basis payment is made on a pro-rata basis. Group practices may also qualify for a subsidy to employ a practice manager.
GP’s in partnerships or group practices may aggregate their panels when making an application for a subsidy. However, partnership and group practices do not qualify for a subsidy in respect of more than one practice secretary and/or practice nurse per contracting GP in the practice.
In addition, GPs working in rural areas who meet the qualifying criteria will also qualify for the rural support allowance, and the 2019 GP Agreement provides for increased support for participating practices in disadvantaged urban areas.
The practice staff subsidy rates are set out below.
|
Subsidy |
Cost |
|
Nursing subsidy (per year) – 1 year’s experience |
€30,945.86 |
|
Nursing subsidy (per year) – 2 years’ experience |
€32,665.07 |
|
Nursing subsidy (per year) – 3 years’ experience |
€34,384.29 |
|
Nursing subsidy (per year) – 4 or more years’ experience |
€37,822.72 |
|
Secretarial subsidy (per year) – 1 year’s experience |
€20,630.57 |
|
Secretarial subsidy (per year) – 2 years’ experience |
€22,349.80 |
|
Secretarial subsidy (per year) – 3 or more years’ experience |
€24,068.99 |
|
Practice manager subsidy (per year) – based on first point of nursing subsidy |
€30,945.86 |
