Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
778. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that are eligible for the free under six general practitioner scheme; the number of persons that have registered under the scheme to date; if he has conducted research on the reason some persons are not taking up the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19151/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra780. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will instruct the HSE to assist persons that wish to enrol their children under the free under six general practitioner scheme but that are unable to access a general practitioner that is accepting new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19153/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra781. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons registered with a general practitioner; the GMS status of those general practitioners; if those general practitioners have registered for the free under six GP scheme; if so, the number of children under six years of age those general practitioners have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19154/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 778, 780 and 781 together.
As at 1 April 2017, 2,482 GPs were contracted by the HSE to provide services under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme to over 2.125 million people who hold either a medical card or GP visit card. 2,350 GPs were registered to provide services to children under 6 years of age. Persons who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis. Details of the numbers of private patients attending particular GPs are not collected by the Department of Health or the HSE.
The introduction of GP care without fees to children under 6 represents a major step forward in improving access, quality and affordability of health care in Ireland. The under 6s GP service contract, which includes age-based preventive checks focused on health and well-being and a cycle of care for children with asthma, underlines the Government’s commitment to enhancing primary care and keeping people well in their own community.
To date, approximately 95% of GMS GPs have entered into agreements with the HSE for the provision of services to children under 6 and 364,426 children under 6 have access to GP care without fees through a medical card or GP visit card. This represents approximately 90% of the under 6 population, according to the latest census information available from the CSO for this age cohort.
Information on the total number of persons who have registered for GP care without fees for under 6s to date is not readily available to my Department. In any event, it should be noted that this figure would not reflect the total number of children who currently have access to the service, as many children who registered since the scheme was introduced in 2015 would now have turned 6 years old and would no longer be automatically eligible for GP care without fees. There would also be a proportion of children under 6 who hold medical cards or GP visit cards which were awarded based on an assessment of their family’s means, many of whom would have held this card prior to the introduction of the scheme in 2015.
As of yet, no research has been carried out in relation to why a small percentage of the eligible population have not yet registered for the free GP care for under 6s service. Information on the service is widely available online. However, parents or guardians must register their children to avail of the scheme, and it is up to each parent or guardian to decide if they wish to do so. In some cases, a child may already attend a GP who does not hold a contract with the HSE to provide services to children under 6, and their family may wish for them to continue to attend this GP on a private basis.
Parents/guardians of eligible children who do not have a Medical Card or GP Visit Card must register them for this new scheme at www.pcrsonline.ie. A printable form is also available on the site or from HSE Local Health Offices if applicants would prefer to submit a paper based form. The site also provides a list, which is updated daily, of GPs taking part in the scheme.
In the event that an eligible patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept him/her as a patient, the HSE has the power to assign an eligible person to a GP's GMS patient list where the person has been removed from another GP's list or refused entry onto a GP's list, and the person has unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area who are contracted to provide services under the GMS. I would advise any parent or guardian who is experiencing a difficulty in registering a child for the under 6s service to contact the HSE, who will be able to assign their child to a GP.
