It has been revealed that almost one in five GPs have not signed up to the free GP care for under-6s scheme introduced late last year.
The figures also show that the number of general practitioners who have signed up varies wildly from county to county.
The scheme can be availed of by children up the end of the month of their sixth birthday, providing their GP has actually signed up. There has been some controversy regarding the scheme, with reports of parents ‘abusing’ the system by bringing in children with light ailments to their practice.