Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
926. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Health if she will examine ways to improve a service (details supplied) in County Wexford, with a view to reducing the number of patients who have to attend emergency departments. [71508/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGeneral Practitioners that hold GMS contracts for the provision of services to medical card and GP visit card holders, are required under their contract to make suitable arrangements for emergencies outside normal practice hours.
Almost 2,600 GPs now hold a GMS contract, and while they are not obliged to, most GPs participate in GP out of hours cooperatives to meet their outside of practice hours service requirements. A robust GP out of hours services ensures that, as much as possible, urgent care needs are met in the community and not in a hospital setting.
The HSE is in regular contact with all out of hours service providers to ensure that these services continue to meet the needs of their local communities.
In regard to measures to improve out of hours services, measures to reform out of hours services to ensure the delivery of an accessible high quality service are being considered as part of the Strategic Review of General Practice which is currently underway. Following its completion, a final report will be presented to me outlining the findings of the review and setting out recommended actions for a more sustainable general practice.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that as part of the measures in place to protect public health during the winter season, the HSE are providing additional funding towards out of hours GP services to increase triage capacity and GP availability in out of hours treatment centres between 6pm and 10pm from the 27th of December to the 26th of January.
