Cork GP warns that securing GP appointment will be more difficult after free care expanded to under 8s

The expansion of free GP care in Ireland will make it more difficult for people to secure an appointment with their doctor, a Cork GP has warned. 

GP partner at Woodview Family Doctors in Glanmire and Medical Director of the Irish College of General Practitioners of GPs Dr Diarmuid Quinlan welcomed the opening of registrations for GP visit cards for children aged six and seven announced by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly on Friday but said that consultation rates within that cohort will increase, making it more difficult for people across the board to get appointments with their GPs.

The Under 6s GP Visit Card scheme has been expanded to become the Under 8s GP Visit Card scheme now providing free GP care for all children aged under eight years of age in Ireland.

The expansion is supported by the landmark agreement between the Department of Health, the HSE, and the Irish Medical Organisation signed in July 2023 which put in place a series of financial supports for GPs.

The move represents the first stage in the biggest expansion in eligibility for free GP care in the history of the State covering up to 500,000 people.

It will be followed by the expansion of free GP care to people earning up to the median income in September and November this year.

Dr Quinlan said that when the Under 6s GP Visit Card scheme was brought in, their consultation rates went up 30% and said that the same will happen now with these 78,000 78,000 children aged six and seven.

“That’s going to make it more difficult for everybody to get an appointment with their GP. There’s no question about that.

“We won’t see it immediately over the summer but we will certainly see it come September, October and all winter long. That’s just the reality.

“In principle, we are supportive that people should have free access to their GP. Most other European countries give that free access. General Practice already provides most of the healthcare in the country, about 85%,” he said.

Cost of Living Challenges

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said he is “delighted” to announce the expanded Under 8s GP Visit Card scheme which he said will ensure that cost is not a barrier to accessing healthcare and provides vital support to families dealing with cost of living challenges.

Addressing the crisis in the GP workforce, Minister Donnelly said government will continue to build on its collaboration with General Practice and secured an agreement with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) which supports GPs to recruit and retain more staff to better meet demand.

Speaking about the shortage of GPs, Dr Quinlan said: “We have a major GP workforce crisis, and we are working with the HSE and the Department of Health and we are rapidly expanding the number of GP training places.

“We went from 155 places in 2015, this year we have 285 and next year we will have 350.

“So, we are rapidly and substantially expanding our GP training. We have a really good four year training programme so people who enter GP training this year will qualify at the end of 2027.

“The other thing we have is a non-EU GP scheme funded by the HSE where we are supporting experienced GPs from overseas to come and work in rural practices under supervision.”