Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
780. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to adjusting the general practitioner practice team model in order to support broader general practitioner practice team members by expanding the grant aid available to take on additional nursing staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5009/22]
View answerGPs 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 scheme, GPs can claim a subsidy towards the cost of employing a practice nurse and/or a practice secretary. Payment is made to participating doctors with a panel size of at least 100 patients and payment increases in bands of 100 with a maximum payment applicable at a panel size of 1,200. The subsidy rate applies to staff employed on a full-time basis. In relation to staff not employed on a full-time basis, payment is made on a pro rata basis.
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.
