David Cullinane
Question:639. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners that will be trained for the next six years by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12846/22]
View answerTuesday, 8 March 2022
Questions (639)
Written answers
The HSE takes several factors into consideration when making its annual assessment of the number and type of specialist training places required within each specialty including but not limited to, future medical workforce planning projections, the number currently in training and the training capacity within the health system.
Targeted increases across a number of specialist training programmes are planned for July 2022 and the HSE is currently working with all relevant stakeholders to agree the July 2022/23 specialist training intakes, including Surgery, Medicine, Psychiatry and General Practice.
The number of GPs entering training has increased steadily over the past number of years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021. 258 places will be available in 2022. The transfer of GP training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) which was concluded in 2021 will allow for the introduction of a new service model for GP training in Ireland and the further expansion GP training capacity in the years ahead. The ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026. Until then, the annual increases in training places will be determined on an annual basis by the training capacity of the health system.