Varadkar believes free GP care ‘not achievable’ in five years

Fine Gael has abandoned plans to introduce free GP care for all citizens over the lifetime of the next government, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has confirmed.

He said extending free GP care to “everyone for everything” would overwhelm the primary care system. “What we are trying to do is set out very clearly if Fine Gael is elected to the next Government.

“We set out to be very honest and what we believe to be achievable reforms in health over the next couple of years and we do not think it is achievable to extend free GP care to everyone in the country, to all adults and children in the space of five years because we are already short on GPs.”

The Fine Gael manifesto will instead commit to introducing free GP care for children up to 18.

It has already been introduced for all children under the age of six and is also in place for those over 70.

Mr Varadkar said the shortage of GPs meant the system could not cope with an additional demand on the system.

He said demand could not be mismatched with the capacity of the profession to deliver.

The decision means it is highly unlikely free GP care will be included in the next Programme for Government. The Labour Party is still committed to its introduction.

A spokesman for Mr Varadkar insisted the proposal has not been abandoned or dropped.

He said it was still the position of the Government to have universal free GP care introduced.

Free GP care was initially intended to be rolled out by the end of the Government’s term of office in 2016 but has been beset by delays.

Many doctors refused to co-operate with the under 6s and over 70s scheme introduced last June while others have insisted the move has seen an increase in unnecessary patient attendance.

The Programme for Government agreed in 2011 said “universal primary care will remove fees for GP care and will be introduced within this Government’s term of office”.

The revised statement of Government priorities agreed last year said the Coalition “remain committed to the introduction of a universal GP service for the entire population as part of Universal Health Insurance, in line with the Programme for Government”.

It said the next groups to be focused on were six to 11-year-olds and 12 to 17-year-olds respectively.