Ireland

Citation

(2003), "Ireland", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 16 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2003.06216eab.004

Ireland

Ireland

Additional funding for out-of-hours co-operatives

Keywords Health boards, Primary care, GP funding

Funding of €4million is to be provided for general practice out-of-hours co-operatives. The funding was announced in April by Micheál Martin, Minister for Health and Children. The funding is to be allocated to the Eastern Regional Health Authority and each of the health boards, with the exception of the North Eastern Health Board, which already has a region-wide GP out-of-hours co-operative. It brings the Government' s spending on out-of-hours co-operatives to almost €50million since their introduction to Ireland in 2000.

The Minister said: " There is presently an out-of-hours co-operative operating in every health board area. The funding now being provided will see the development of new co-operatives in Westmeath, Longford, Limerick City and County, Sligo, Leitrim, Wexford and Cork City. The funding will also allow for the expansion of existing co-operatives in Dublin and Galway."

General practice out-of-hours co-operatives are a central component of the Government' s Primary Care Strategy, and are state supported, GP-run organisations, aimed at the provision of a structured out-of-hours general practitioner service. They allow for vastly improved public access to GP services out-of-hours, while at the same time allowing GPs to regularise their out-of-hours commitment.