New figures show that the vast majority of GPs have signed up to the recent €210 million agreement with the Government, which will result in a reversal of previous fee cuts, a new chronic disease management programme and other developments.
The Health Service Executive has said that 2,184 GPs have so far signed up to the agreement, while 320 other GPs have not yet done so. The Chronic Disease Management Programme for medical card patients is due to start in 2020 and will be rolled out to adult patients over a four-year period. GPs who intend to provide this service will sign up to a Chronic Disease Management contract later this year.
The overall agreement reached in May also acknowledges the Minister for Health's intention to extend GP care without fees to children aged 6-12 years, on a phased basis, from 2020 and that the contractual terms will be negotiated with the Irish Medical Organisation.
gpbuddy This doesn't change the fact that GPs are operating under a decades old contract that is no longer fit for purpose and which successive governments have refused to engage in renegotiating despite promises to do so.