Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
733. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners which are estimated to be required to meet current medical card and free general practitioner card demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4780/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraGeneral Practitioners are private contractors. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.
Under the terms of the General Medical Services and GP Visit Card contracts, the maximum number of medical card or GP visit card patients on a GP's patient panel may not exceed 2,000, or 2,200 if the GP also holds an under 6 contract, except in exceptional circumstances. There is no minimum number of patients specified for a panel. GMS patients unable to find a GP accepting new patients, can be assigned to a GP’s GMS list by the HSE.
The number of GPs on the Specialist Division of the Register in General Practice continues to increase – up from 2,270 in 2010 to 4,319 as of 26 January 2022, and the number of GPs contracted by the HSE under the GMS scheme has also risen from 2,098 in 2008 to 2,542 in January 2022.
The number of GPs entering training in recent years has also increased, up from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021, with large increases made in recent years. Further increases are expected following the transfer of responsibility for training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners.
The 2019 GP Agreement on Contractual Reform and Service Development 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 outcome of this review will inform future contractual changes, with preparatory work for the review having begun this year.
