GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. 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.
Where a GMS patient, a person that 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 a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list in accordance with the GMS contract.
Persons who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, 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 was increased by €211.6m. This provided for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees for additional services and increased practice supports. The GP Agreement 2023 further increased GP capitation fees, increased the existing subsidy rates for practice staff, and introduced a grant support for additional staff capacity as well a practice staff maternity leave support.
These measures make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice for doctors which in turn will increase the number of GPs working in the State and thereby improve access to GP services. Figures released by the ICGP show that 1,311 medical graduates applied for GP training in 2024, a notable increase on the previous year and higher than any other year.
The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased significantly in recent years, with 286 new entrants in 2023 and 350 places planned for new entrants for this year. Annual intake to the GP training scheme has been increased by over 80% from 2015 to 2023, and the number of new entrant places to be available this year is a 22% increase on last year's intake alone.
Furthermore, GP recruitment is ongoing under the joint non-EU GP Training Programme between the HSE and ICGP. 112 non-EU GPs were recruited last year under the training programme and it is planned to recruit up to 250 more non-EU GPs to Ireland this year. The placement of GPs under the programme is targeted to rural and underserviced areas.
Finally, my Department and the HSE have commenced a Strategic Review of General Practice. The review, with input from key stakeholders, is examining the broad range of issues affecting general practice including issues related to GP capacity. When completed, the review will set out the measures necessary to deliver a more sustainable general practice into the future.
