1. This meeting reiterates the IMO position that the reversal of FEMPI is in relation to the provision of existing services and that new work to be negotiated under the Framework Agreement and in the context of new contractual provisions requires new, additional and separate funding.

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

2. The IMO calls on the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform to recognise that General Practice has, as a direct consequence of FEMPI, become financially unviable and that a roadmap for FEMPI reversal is urgently required to protect existing services before any new services can be introduced.

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

3. The IMO call on the Department of Health and Department of Public Expenditure to fulfil the commitment under the Memorandum of Understanding with the IMO to commence a process to reverse FEMPI as it applies to General Practitioners and to recognise the significant pressures the FEMPI cuts have imposed on practices for the past decade which is detrimental to patient services.

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

4. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the HSE to acknowledge the current manpower crisis in General Practice whereby   700 GPs are due to retire in the next 5 years with no prospect of new GPs taking over practices, thus leaving many communities with no GP.  The current situation is all the more alarming given that Ireland already has one of the lowest number of GPs per population and will need an additional 2500 GPs to meet patient needs over the next decade.

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the HSE to acknowledge the current workforce crisis in General Practice whereby   700 GPs are due to retire in the next 5 years with no prospect of new GPs taking over practices, thus leaving many communities with no GP.  The current situation is all the more alarming given that Ireland already has one of the lowest number of GPs per population and will need an additional 2500 GPs to meet patient needs over the next decade.

5. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the HSE to recognise the increasing trend of emigration amongst younger GPs and to negotiate with the IMO sufficient supports for establishing GPs so as to ensure General Practice in Ireland is seen as a viable career option with structured career pathways.

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

6. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform to recognise that health reform proposals as outlined in Slaintecare requires significant investment in and new contractual arrangements for General Practice and that the introduction of new services must be phased in with capacity supports and be prioritised based on medical evidence not political expediency. 

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

7. The IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to recognise the true costs of the provision of services to patients by GPs which are not resourced under current contractual provisions including:

Provision of Premises and all overheads associated with those premises

Provision of IT systems

Costs associated with Locums, Continuing Professional Development

Proposer: Limerick GP Branch and Dr Michael Kelleher

Status: Carried

8. This meeting calls on the HSE and the Department of Health to recognise that the provision of special items of service, including ECGs, within General Practice can significantly reduce pressures on the acute sector and offer patients services closer to home, however the current resources attached to special items are woefully inadequate and require urgent revision.

Proposer: Limerick GP Branch

Status: Carried

 

9. This meeting calls on the Department for Children to direct TUSLA to engage with the IMO to develop implementable agreements as to how GPs can work with TUSLA with regard to meetings, workload and reports which arise from matters pertaining to childcare and that proper resources be allocated for same. 

 

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

 

10. The IMO calls on the PCRS to provide further clarity in situations where a red weather warning alert is in place. GPs who operate an emergency only clinic in such situations should be allowed claim an emergency STC in a similar manner to when the consultation is an out of hours claim. 

Proposer: Dr Denis McCauley     Seconder: Dr Martin Daly

Status: Carried

 

11. The IMO call on the HSE/PCRS to pay study leave payment to all GPs with a GMS list of over 100 patients as a block payment each year rather than the current process. As all GPs are obliged to attend CPD/CME events there is no longer any rationale for paying study leave in the current manner

Proposer: Dr Brian O’Doherty     Seconder: Dr Austin Byrne

Status: Carried

 

12. This meeting calls on the HSE to cease the practice of assigning patients to GPs without their consent, particularly in the case of violent/aggressive patients who may pose a danger to other patients or GP staff.​

Proposer: Mayo GP Branch

Status: Carried

 

13. This meeting calls on the HSE to recognise the need to have a separate state service for the provision of care to violent/aggressive patients and that such a service be agreed with the IMO.​

Proposer: Limerick GP Branch

Status: Carried

 

14. This meeting calls on the HSE to recognise the cost and provision of out of hours services and to ensure that such costs are not borne by the GP.

Proposer: Mayo GP Branch

Status: Carried

 

15. Noting the increasing pressures and lack of capacity in the Out of Hours service this meeting calls on the HSE to immediately undertake a public information campaign outlining that such services are for urgent/emergency care only and not for routine matters.​

Proposer: Mayo GP Branch

Status: Carried

16. This meeting notes with the greatest concern the proposed transfer of GP training from the HSE to the ICGP.​

Proposer: Dr Pat Durcan     Seconder: Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald

Status: Carried as amended

Amendment 

This meeting notes with the greatest concern the terms of the proposed transfer of GP training from the HSE to the ICGP.​

17. This meeting calls on the PCRS to ensure all disputes between Gps and the PCRs are resolved in a timely and efficient manner as agreed in the disputes resolution process.​

Proposer: Dr Ray Walley     Seconder: Dr Martin Daly

Status: Carried

 

18. This meeting calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to hold discussions with the IMO in relation to the introduction of a National Immunisation Schedule for pregnant women that will encompass important vaccines to protect against Influenza and Whooping Cough.  Such a scheme to be made available to all pregnant women irrespective of GMS entitlement.

Proposer: Dr Pascal O’Dea                   Seconder: Dr Michael Kelleher

Status: Carried

 

19. This meeting calls on the Department of Health to regulate the proliferation of `screening medicals `that have questionable value , create additional workload and direct scarce resources away from appropriate health care.​

Proposer: IMO GP Committee

Status: Carried

 

20. According to the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners (8^th Edition), doctors providing telemedicine services within the State should be registered with the Medical Council, but are not required to be and therefore may not be required to have indemnity cover. We call on the Minister for Health and the Medical council to immediately rectify this situation as a matter of urgency.

Proposer: Dr Pascal O‘Dea     Seconder: Dr Ray Walley

Status: Carried

21. This meeting requests that medical indemnifiers examine the safety of GP online video/telemedicine consultations as currently exist in Ireland with particular emphasis on patient safety and to then issue recommendations and advisory notices to GPs in this regard.

Proposer: Dr Pascal O’Dea     Seconder: Dr Padraig McGarry

Status: Carried