GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a contract with the HSE for the provision of health services, such as the GMS contract for the provision of GP services to medical card and GP visit card holders.
Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area), can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list.
People who do not hold a medical card or a GP visit card access GP services on a private basis, in which the Minister has no role, and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and is working to ensure that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.
Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice has been increased now by €211.6m. This provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees and subsidies for additional services. Improvements to GP’s maternity and paternity leave arrangements and a support for GPs in disadvantaged urban areas, have also been provided for. In addition, the enhanced supports package for rural GP practices was increased by 10%.
Additional capacity supports are to be made available, as part of the recently announced agreement reached with the IMO to extend eligibility for GP visit cards to people who earn up to the median household income and to children aged 6 & 7, to enable the expansion and retention of staffing within general practice.
These measures will make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice and will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased in recent years, rising from 193 in 2019 to 258 in 2022, with 285 new entrants places made available for this year and 350 places now planned for next year. Furthermore, the joint HSE and ICGP programme to bring up to 100 non-EU GPs to Ireland in 2023 will help to quickly improve access to GP services, particularly in areas with limited access. It is planned to bring to Ireland up to 250 more non-EU GPs by the end of 2024.
Furthermore, the strategic review of GP services is to commence shortly and will be completed this year. The review, with input from key stakeholders, will examine the broad range of issues affecting general practice, including issues related to GP capacity, and will set out the measures necessary to deliver a more sustainable general practice into the future.
