Vol. 525 No. 2
490 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to a recent warning by the Irish Medical Organisation that general practice is heading for a crisis which could force general practitioners to significantly curtail patient services; and the steps he is taking to deal with this situation. [24126/00]
491 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to a warning by the Irish Medical Organisation that there is an approaching crisis in general medical services with numbers falling continuously to the extent that it is no longer capable of maintaining the infrastructure necessary to provide this service; and the steps he is taking to deal with this situation. [24127/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 491 together.
I am not aware of falling numbers of general practitioners. In the specific context of doctors in the GMS scheme, the numbers are actually increasing. Currently, the number of agreements with doctors under the GMS scheme is 1,757 as compared with 1,679 at end December 1999, which was itself up on 1,629 from the previous year. Indeed, these figures do not even give the full picture to the extent that many contracted practitioners also retain assistants who share in the work of the practices including the provision of services to GMS scheme patients. Moreover, there are other non-GMS scheme doctors holding other contracts from the State to provide services under other specific schemes, such as the primary childhood immunisation scheme.
I should also state that the Irish College of General Practitioners received 180 applications for 54 places on the GP vocational training programme this year which indicates a continuing significant interest in this area among medical graduates and my Department is also looking at the possibility of increasing the existing number of GP trainee positions.
Further, the issue of general practice manpower requirements will be one of the areas which will be fully, and strategically, considered in the light of the review of general practice being undertaken by the health board chief executive officers which I expect to be completed shortly.
