Plan for free u12 GP visits and virtual clinics… but fees will rise
HEALTH Minister Simon Harris has claimed up to 400,000 people will benefit from the new €210m deal brokered with GPs.
Under the agreement, all children under 12 will have free doctor visits by 2022 and GPs will be able to recruit up to 247 new practice nurses.
Meanwhile, patient records will be digitalised, so that staff working at hospital accident and emergency departments, GP surgeries and out-of-hour clinics can share information.
There are also plans to introduce electronic prescribing and virtual clinics, meaning patients will no longer have to go on hospital waiting lists to speak with cardiac consultants.
Speaking at the launch of the plan yesterday in the Navan Road Primary Care Centre – located in the Taoiseach’s home constituency – Mr Harris said: ‘This really is a landmark day for the Irish health service.’ He said the agreement would ‘very much support general practice’ and ‘benefit up to 400,000 people when rolled out. It will start next year’.
The minister said the free health care plan will be introduced on a staggered basis to prevent GP clinics from becoming overwhelmed: ‘We are taking steps on a phased basis, so nobody here is suggesting that all of these new services come overnight.
‘GPs have gone through a number of very, very, difficult years, so our first priority is to stabilise and support the existing services that they are providing. We are very confident that this is a balanced, measured deal and that we phase it in correctly.’
Meanwhile, under the plan, people, suffering from haemochromatosis – the excessive blood iron condition known as the Celtic Disease because of the high incidence in Celtic countries such as Ireland – will be eligible for specialist blood tests at their local doctor’s surgery instead of having to go to hospital.
And people with chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart failure and strokes, will be due some free visits with GPs and practice nurses. There are also plans for a programme to detect such conditions at an early stage.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: ‘We anticipate that an increase of fees will encourage more GPs to stay in practice and more young doctors to start a practice.’