From August, free health care is to be introduced for around 78,000 six- and seven-year-olds.
Applications for GP cards for children in this age group will open on August 11th. The first phase of the cards, for those earning below median household income, begins September 11, with singles being the first group to be eligible, reports RTE.
The average household income last year was 46,999 euros.
This is the result of a new deal agreed between the Irish Medical Organization (IMO) and the Government after several months of talks, which is set to be announced today.
The planned expansion of free health care for children aged six and seven was announced in the 2021 budget, but was delayed due to negotiations with doctors who raised concerns about their ability to take on the extra work.
In June 2020, a law was published that would allow free family doctor care to be extended to six and seven-year-olds, reports RTE.
The IMO element of the new contract for general practitioners is expected to cost around 130 million euros.
Clare-based GP Dr Yvonne Williams while speaking to Claire Byrne on RTE’s Today, said there was a “huge crisis” in general medicine at the moment.
Dr Williams said: “My fear and that of my colleagues even talking to them this morning is that older, more vulnerable – the frail elderly – are the people who maybe won’t be able to access their GP as quickly as they need to. And they will end up having to go to A&E [Emergency Department] or the out of hours service,” reports RTE.
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