The Irish College of GPs calls for sustained investment in primary care with the following priorities: integrated and connected care, delivering the GP workforce Ireland needs, providing more care to patients with multidisciplinary GP teams, supporting modern built infrastructure, and ensuring our health system is driven by data.
Together, these are the measures the College considers necessary to convert existing capacity in general practice into measurable improvements in patient care.
Ireland's 4,900 GPs already manage the great majority of patient contacts across the health system, and the College is highlighting general practice as the most immediate and cost-effective means of increasing healthcare capacity, improving patient access and reducing pressure on hospitals.
Mr Fintan Foy, CEO of the Irish College of GPs, said: "General practice is already the busiest and most cost-effective part of our health service. This Pre-Budget Submission sets out a clear, practical roadmap for Budget 2027, one that allows us to convert the capacity already in the system into real, measurable improvements for patients.”
The Chair of the Board of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Knut Moe, said: “The Government has an opportunity in Budget 2027 to back general practice properly, and to ensure that investment in workforce, infrastructure and integrated care keeps pace with the needs of a growing and ageing population”
The Medical Director of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, added, "The Irish College of GPs calls for innovative capital investment to ensure GP practices can continue to provide accessible, high-quality care close to patients’ homes. We are calling for a dedicated capital investment programme for general practice, supporting the development, expansion and modernisation of GP premises. Investment in GP infrastructure is a strategic investment in the capacity of Ireland’s health service. This strategic investment is fundamental to timely patient access to specialist GP care."
Read the Irish College of GPs Pre-Budget Submission 2027 here.
