Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
779. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action his Department will take to adjust and update the general practitioners practice team model to take account both of the broad range of skills required in practice to meet new models of care and to free up skilled personnel for more complex tasks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5008/22]
View answerThe Government is committed to developing primary and community services across the country. We also remain committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients continue to have access to GP services.
GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing and employ additional staff as they see fit. Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. GPs are remunerated for these services primarily on a capitation basis, with a range of additional support payments and fees for specific items of service. Under the GMS scheme, GPs are paid a subsidy towards the cost of employing a practice nurse and/or a practice secretary. Group practices may also qualify for a subsidy to employ a practice manager.
Recent developments in relation to general practice, in particular the 2019 Agreement on Contractual Reform and Service Development, have helped to re-establish general practice in Ireland as an attractive career choice. The additional investment, which will amount to €210 million annually once the Agreement is fully implemented, provides for an increase in capitation fees, improved maternity and paternity arrangements as well as enhanced supports for rural practices. In addition, targeted funding of €2 million will also be set aside to provide additional support to practices in deprived urban areas.
The 2019 GP Agreement includes a commitment to undertake a strategic review of GP services within the lifetime of the Agreement, to examine how best to ensure the provision of GP services in Ireland for the future. The Government is open to considering other options of support for general practice as part of the strategic review. The outcome of this review will inform future contractual changes, with preparatory work for the review having begun this year.
In Budget 2022, the Minister secured annual investment of €195m to enable the continued delivery of the Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme. Amongst other initiatives, the funding will allow for the rollout of 96 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) to be completed across the country by the end of 2022. These networks will be central to the development of improved primary and community services. They will involve new ways of working and are designed to empower local GPs, nurses, and other health professionals to lead at the local level, with key roles for GP Leads and Network Managers.
The ECC programme represents a significant expansion in primary care capacity, and will see some 3,500 additional staff recruited overall, with around 2,300 staff to be recruited in 2022, with a particular focus on nursing and health and social care professionals thereby delivering on the Sláintecare vision of enabling the provision of the right care, at right time, in the right place.
