Plan for free GP care for children under 12 faces potential delays

The introduction of the Government’s planned extension of free GP care for all children under age 12 potentially faces new delays .

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said it will not enter into talks on he planned new initiative until the conclusion of negotiations on a revised overall contract with the Government for dealing with existing categories of patients with medical cards or doctor visit cards.

The IMO said it had told Minster for Health Leo Varadkar and Minister of State Kathleen Lynch at a face-to-face meeting on Thursday that the organisation "categorically rules out any extension of free GP care to children under 12 in advance of the introduction of a new GP contract".

Plans to extend the existing free GP care scheme, which is currently available to children uner age 6, to those under age 12 was announced by the Government in the Budget earlier this month. The initiative is planned to be put in place next year.

The chairman of the IMO’s GP committee Dr Padraig McGarry said: “There is no question of general practice being in a position to cope with a cohort of additional patients until such time as a new contract dealing with the needs of existing patients is completed.”

He said the new contract must be for the existing cohort of patients and must address matters such as chronic disease management, rural supports, deprivation supports and additional services (eg: minor surgery).

Dr McGarry said it was welcome that both Minister’s had acknowledged the need for a new contract and in particular the importance of chronic disease management.

“The IMO has long advocated for the inclusion of chronic disease management in the new GP Contract, which, when appropriately managed and resourced in general practice, delivers the State excellent value for money in terms of reducing pressures on secondary care and offers patients improved outcomes and better access to care.

The IMO said its delegation at the meeeting with the Minister re-statedthe organisation’s view that the extension of the GMS contract on the basis of age was not supported by medical evidence and wi would not meet the health needs of the Irish population.

Earlier this year the IMO and the Department of Health signed a memorandum of understanding which envisaged completing negotiations on an new overall comprehensive GP contract by the end of nextMarch.

The IMO position now is that it will only commence talks on extending the free GP care scheme to children under 12 once the new overall contract covering existing patients is introduced.

The Government’sproposals for the introduction of free GP care for children under age 12 are also opposed by another GP representative body, the National Association of GPs.