The Irish College of GPs is the professional body for general practice in Ireland. The College is the representative organisation for education, training and standards in general practice, with 4,600 members and associates comprising over 85% of practising GPs in the Republic of Ireland and 1,130 GPs in training.
The College has published its pre-Budget submission, which sets out the priorities for the delivery of Sláintecare 2025+, particularly those focused on integrated community care, digital health and workforce development.
In its Pre-Budget Submission entitled “Strengthening the Future of GP Care in Ireland”, the College calls for
- The establishment of a National GP Clinical Lead for Integrated Care;
- The inclusion of Mental Health in the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) programme;
- Sustained investment in a primary care workforce and infrastructure to facilitate the implementation of Sláintecare 2025+ and solutions-focused approaches to staffing deficits in rural general practice and locum provision;
- The development of a connected e-health record system;
- Data-driven, patient-centred quality improvement initiatives and research to enhance quality and service provision.
The Medical Director of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, said: “We have experienced important advances in the delivery of significantly more GP training places, and initiatives such as the International Medical Graduate (IMG) programme to ease workforce pressures on rural general practices. However, GP practices are facing an ever-expanding workload, with a growing population, more complex conditions, and an infrastructure that lags behind demand. Too many patients, particularly those in rural and deprived urban areas, continue to face barriers to timely, continuous care. We need more supports to build or update infrastructure for general practice.”
The Chair of the Board of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Deirdre Collins, said: “We urge the Government to embed general practice at the centre of an integrated health system. We need connected care with shared eHealth records, and support for a GP workforce to meet rising demand and deliver care where patients need it most.
Mr. Fintan Foy, CEO of the Irish College of GPs, added, “General practice is the cornerstone of our health system. To deliver on the promise of Sláintecare, we must invest in the people and systems that make primary care work. That means supporting GPs with modern infrastructure, digital tools, and a workforce strategy that addresses the urgent gaps in rural and underserved communities.”
The College’s Pre-Budget Submission can be accessed here.
ISSUED BY: Aileen O’Meara, Communications Consultant, Irish College of GPs.
Tel. 01 2542984 / 087 2239830 Email: media@icgp.ie