Donnelly defends 'poorly planned' expansion to GP care

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly taking part in the departmental Budget 2023 press conference at Government Buildings, Dublin earlier today. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has defended his budget plan to expand free GP care to an additional half a million people despite doctors warning that the move is poorly-planned and one they will be unable to deliver.

Tuesday’s budget provides for the expansion of free access to doctors to six- and seven-year-olds. It also provides for an additional 430,000 adults to get GP visit cards.

The Irish Medical Organisation, which represents GPs, has said: “Such a significant expansion in patient numbers (over 25%) requires long-term planning, not politically-motivated budget announcements.”

The IMO described the initiative as “ill conceived and poorly planned” in the context of their current capacity, workload, and workforce numbers.

Patients in many areas, including across Munster, are already experiencing delays in getting GP appointments or even joining a GP list.

“There is no point in removing a financial barrier for some patients but replacing it with another barrier of longer waiting times which are detrimental to health outcomes,” the IMO said.

However, Mr Donnelly said he has been in informal talks with the union for some weeks, and he is aware of their concerns.

“What has been raised with me by the IMO is that we have to invest in GP capacity and we can’t just provide half a million extra GP cards because we know that the number of visits go up,” he said.

“I said that is the point,” Mr Donnelly said. He insisted the plan will go ahead.

“I would say to anyone in general practice who is nervous about this, I understand that nervousness because many GPs are not getting to their patients are quickly as they want to,” he said.

“And they are quite rightly saying they need more doctors, more nurses, more access to diagnostics, more access to community supports, more access to consultant specialists.

We are doing all of those things. But ultimately Government has to decide that it is time to do what we all know needs to be done. 

The budget includes €443m to reduce hospital waiting lists, currently at over 900,000 people. This follows a €350m plan launched in February.

Mr Donnelly described the targets as “ambitious”.

He said that, despite some successes, this year’s outpatient reduction targets are already 65,000 people behind where the HSE wanted to be by now, the in-patient target is 2,800 behind, and a downward trend in day case waiting times reversed this month.

Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, announced an increase of €177m in funding for disabilities.

Funding of €0.9m is now also available to continue rolling out the neuro-rehabilitation strategy, she said.

It is understood this will include a focus on Cork University Hospital as a centre of excellence.

The minister said she would ultimately like to see funding available for paediatric clinical specialists also.

This year’s funding covers two community rehabilitation teams for people with neurological conditions as well as two under pilot, Ms Rabbitte said. She said disability organisations, funded through Section 39 supports, can apply for help with winter costs, through a health sector fund of €100m.