Written Answers Nos. 731-750
732. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners which are estimated to be required to meet current population need demands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4779/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraGeneral Practitioners are private practitioners. 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. The State does not prescribe the number of private patients that may be registered with a GP; this is a matter for individual GP practices.
The Government remain committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients continue to have access to GP services.
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. A further 532 GPs not contracted under the GMS scheme are registered to provide other services including the Primary Childhood Immunisation Scheme, Health Amendment Act 1996, Heartwatch, Methadone Treatment Scheme and the National Cancer Screening Service.
There has been a significant increase in the number of GPs entering training in recent years, 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.
Recent developments in relation to general practice, in particular the 2019 Agreement on Contractual Reform and Service Development, have helped to re-establish general practice in Ireland as an attractive career choice. The additional investment, which will amount to €210 million annually once the Agreement is fully implemented, provides for an increase in capitation fees, improved maternity and paternity arrangements as well as enhanced supports for rural practices. In addition, targeted funding of €2 million will also be set aside to provide additional support to practices in deprived urban areas.
The 2019 GP Agreement 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.
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.
734. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has conducted a census of existing private sector primary care infrastructure particularly as it relates to general practices; and if this factors into planning for the development of new primary care centres. [4781/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
735. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the last time that the HSE reviewed the general practice out-of-hours service; the recommendations of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4782/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2010, the HSE published the first national review of GP Out of Hours Services around the country since the commencement of publicly funded GP Cooperatives in 1999. The report found that there were almost 1 million contacts with GP out of hours services in 2008 and that patient satisfaction was rated at over 90% for the majority of the out of hours services.
The report made a number of recommendations around treatment centres, call centres, payments to GPs, a standard Service Level Agreement etc. The report is available on the HSE website at www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/corporate/ooh.html . The full list of recommendations can be found in Chapter 11 and Appendix 10 of the report.
The HSE is in regular contact with Out of Hours services. In particular, over the past two years there has been greater engagement to ensure that the services can continue to provide the supports needed by local communities. In recognition of the key role GP Out of Hours service providers play in the delivery of our health service and the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, a financial and service stability arrangement for GP Out of Hours cooperatives was introduced with effect from 14th March 2020.
The 2019 GP Agreement on Service Development and Contractual Reform 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, including out of hours 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.
736. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the progress made on implementing each enhanced community care reform in 2021. [4783/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
737. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the progress made on implementing community care pathways in 2021. [4784/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
738. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of active dentists on the dental treatment services scheme by county in each month in 2021. [4786/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
739. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the waiting lists for dental surgery and orthodontics by county at year end 2021. [4787/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
740. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total payments made to dentists on the dental treatment services scheme in each of the years 2018 to 2021. [4788/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
741. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of paid employees working in the addiction sector. [4790/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
743. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of medical postgraduate intern training places across the State by specialty in tabular form. [4831/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
744. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of medical specialist trainee places across the State by specialty in tabular form. [4832/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
746. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the current number of children waiting for assessment of needs by county and waiting periods of less than three months, three months plus, one year plus and two years plus. [4837/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
749. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the number of women and pregnant persons that required hospital care as a result of untreated hyperemesis or dehydration or other effects of hyperemesis in 2019, 2020 and 2021. [4841/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
750. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital bed and commode that is needed for a property for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4846/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
