GP: in person - FFP1_GP_in_Ireland_Narrated_Lecture_2025-26_Final__1_
FFP1 Module Learning Outcomes
Effective Strategies: Utilize communication, collaboration, and interventions as part of a team.
Global Trends in Morbidity and Mortality: Describe these trends using Global Burden of Disease study data.
Calgary Cambridge Model: Display knowledge of its basic framework in communication.
Personal & Professional Identity: Discuss the application of professionalism, leadership, and resilience to manage oneself and engage with patients, colleagues, and communities.
Fundamentals of Life & Pharmacology: Describe biomolecular, cellular, and biochemical fundamentals, and the principles of pharmacology.
Social Determinants of Health: Describe these, along with the breadth and function of public health and health promotion roles.
Pathological & Immunological Processes: Explain the processes underlying disease.
Microbiological Organisms & Infections: Identify characteristics of medically important microbiological organisms and the pathogenesis of bacterial infections.
Microbiological Diagnostic Investigation: Explain the principles of investigation.
Psychological Principles of Health: Explain psychological principles for maintaining health.
Lecture Learning Outcomes
Discuss the structure and access to the healthcare system in Ireland.
Outline what primary care is and how patients access this care.
Discuss General Practice and how it fits into the healthcare system.
Structure of Healthcare Services in Ireland
The Irish healthcare system is structured in a tiered approach:
Self-care: The foundational level where individuals manage their own health.
Primary care: The first point of contact for routine health needs.
Secondary and tertiary care: Hospital-based specialist care, emergency services, and highly specialized treatments.
Understanding Primary Care
Definition: Primary care is an approach to healthcare encompassing a range of services designed to keep people well. These services include:
Health promotion and disease screening.
Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Personal social services.
Key Characteristics:
Provides the first level of contact for patients.
Easily accessible.
Strong emphasis on working with communities and individuals to improve health and social well-being.
Common Usage: The term 'primary care' is often used interchangeably with 'general practice' (GP) or 'family medicine', but it also includes other allied health services.
Primary Care Teams
Primary care in Ireland involves a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive services. This team typically includes:
GP (General Practitioner)
Nurse/midwife
Healthcare assistant
Home help
Physiotherapist
Occupational therapist
Social worker
Receptionist
Clerical assistant
Administrator
Podiatrist
Community welfare officer
Community pharmacist
Dentist
Dietitian
Psychologist/therapist
Speech & language therapist
Access to Healthcare in Ireland
Access to primary healthcare in Ireland operates on a multi-tiered system, which determines eligibility for free or subsidized care.
Primary Healthcare Access Categories:
Medical Cards:
Eligibility: Means-tested, but some discretionary cards are granted based on 'exceptional' medical need.
Benefits:
FREE GP care (including out-of-hours services).
FREE primary care services (though waiting lists and service availability can vary).
FREE medications (a small 'prescription charge' may apply).
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
GP Visit Cards (General):
Eligibility: Means-tested, available to individuals aged .
Benefits:
FREE GP care (including out-of-hours).
PAY for other primary care services (e.g., physiotherapy).
PAY for medications, but subject to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) with a maximum family payment of per month.
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
GP Visit Cards (Specific):
Eligibility: Provided to specific categories, including those under years old, over years old, and carers. There is an ongoing expansion to other categories of the population.
Private Patients:
Eligibility: Individuals who do not qualify for Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards.
Costs:
PAY for GP care (typically per consultation).
PAY for other primary care services.
PAY for medications, also subject to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) with a maximum family payment of per month.
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
Ireland: Europe's Outlier in Primary Health Care (Editorial Insights)
Unique Position: Ireland is the only European country without universal coverage of primary healthcare, despite being one of the richest countries in Europe.
Public Spending vs. Access:
Public health spending significantly increased from billion in to an estimated billion in .
Yet, % of residents do not have access to free primary healthcare.
Contrast with Europe: Other European countries generally cover GP visit costs fully or partially for their entire population through public health spending or compulsory health insurance.
Two-Tier System Dilemma:
Category 1: Individuals qualifying for free primary care (Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards) typically based on age, very low income (e.g., individuals aged <65 years without dependents earning <€184 a week), or chronic health conditions.
As of November , this category covered only about % of the population.
Category 2: Individuals who do not qualify for these cards, including many low-income and middle-income earners for whom primary care costs are a significant burden.
Impact of Inaccessible Primary Care:
Places tremendous strain on hospitals due to patients presenting for conditions that could have been managed in primary care at an earlier stage.
Example: In January , individuals were treated without a hospital bed due to overcrowding, despite record government healthcare spending for .
Proposed Reforms - Sláintecare Initiative:
Aims to establish universal access to healthcare based on medical need rather than financial means.
A national survey showed % respondent support for universal healthcare implementation.
Estimated Cost: Expanding free GP care to the entire population is estimated to range from million to million if implemented in , which is a fraction of the annual health spending.
Obstacles to Reform:
Financial constraints.
Looming shortage of GPs: one-fifth of the current workforce is aged over years, with many expected to retire in the next decade.
Conclusion: Healthcare spending is ultimately a political choice. The current system, which places the financial burden on individuals rather than the state, is misaligned with the principles of publicly funded healthcare.
Secondary Care
Secondary care primarily involves hospital-based services.
Types of Hospitals:
Public Hospitals: Run by the state through the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Voluntary Public Hospitals: Mainly state-funded but are sometimes owned by private bodies.
Private Hospitals: Receive no state funding.
Access to Public Hospitals:
Emergency Department (ED):
A fee generally applies for private patients who are residents in Ireland (with exceptions).
No fee for Medical Card or GP Visit Card holders.
Referrals from a GP for an emergency result in no fee for private patients.
Out-Patient Department (OPD - Out-patient Clinic):
No fees typically apply.
Accessed via referral from a GP.
In-patient Stay:
If admitted as a
FFP1 Module Learning Outcomes
Effective Strategies: Utilize communication, collaboration, and interventions as part of a team. This outcome emphasizes the importance of interprofessional teamwork in healthcare settings. It involves developing skills to communicate clearly and effectively with colleagues, patients, and their families; collaborating on patient care plans; and implementing evidence-based interventions as part of a shared responsibility to achieve optimal patient outcomes and improve health system efficiency.
Global Trends in Morbidity and Mortality: Describe these trends using Global Burden of Disease study data. This involves understanding how diseases and causes of death are changing worldwide, including geographical variations and demographic shifts. Students will learn to interpret data from studies like the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) to identify leading causes of illness and death, risk factors, and their implications for public health policy and intervention strategies. For example, understanding the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in certain regions or the persistent burden of infectious diseases in others.
Calgary Cambridge Model: Display knowledge of its basic framework in communication. The Calgary-Cambridge guide provides a structured approach to medical communication skills, covering stages such as initiating the session, gathering information, building the relationship, providing structure, providing and eliciting information, and closing the session. Knowledge of this model helps healthcare professionals conduct patient-centered consultations, ensuring effective information exchange, shared decision-making, and empathetic interaction.
Personal & Professional Identity: Discuss the application of professionalism, leadership, and resilience to manage oneself and engage with patients, colleagues, and communities. This outcome focuses on developing a strong professional identity, characterized by ethical behavior, accountability, and a commitment to lifelong learning. It includes understanding principles of medical ethics, demonstrating leadership qualities within a team, and cultivating resilience to cope with the demands and stresses of a healthcare career, ensuring personal well-being while effectively serving others.
Fundamentals of Life & Pharmacology: Describe biomolecular, cellular, and biochemical fundamentals, and the principles of pharmacology. This encompasses a foundational understanding of the basic building blocks of life, including the structure and function of biomolecules (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids), cellular organization (e.g., organelles, cell division), and biochemical pathways (e.g., metabolism, energy production). Additionally, it covers the core principles of pharmacology, such as pharmacokinetics (how drugs move through the body—absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and pharmacodynamics (how drugs affect the body and their mechanisms of action), which are crucial for understanding drug therapies.
Social Determinants of Health: Describe these, along with the breadth and function of public health and health promotion roles. This outcome involves recognizing the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, such as socioeconomic status, education, housing, access to healthy food, and environmental conditions. It also explores the scope of public health efforts, including disease prevention, health surveillance, and health policy development, as well as the diverse roles played by health promotion specialists in empowering individuals and communities to improve their health.
Pathological & Immunological Processes: Explain the processes underlying disease. This involves understanding the mechanisms of disease at various levels, from cellular and tissue damage (pathology) to the body's defense systems (immunology). Key concepts include inflammation, infection, cellular adaptation and injury, necrosis, apoptosis, and the function of the innate and adaptive immune systems in recognizing and eliminating pathogens or aberrant cells. This knowledge is fundamental for diagnosis and treatment.
Microbiological Organisms & Infections: Identify characteristics of medically important microbiological organisms and the pathogenesis of bacterial infections. This focuses on classifying and understanding the key features of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that cause human disease. It includes learning about microbial structures, growth requirements, mechanisms of pathogenicity (e.g., toxin production, invasion), and how these organisms cause infections and disease states in the human body.
Microbiological Diagnostic Investigation: Explain the principles of investigation. This covers the various laboratory techniques used to identify and characterize微生物organisms responsible for infection. This includes microscopy, culture methods, biochemical tests, immunological assays (e.g., ELISA), and molecular techniques (e.g., PCR), as well as understanding the interpretation of results for effective diagnosis and treatment selection.
Psychological Principles of Health: Explain psychological principles for maintaining health. This outcome explores the role of psychological factors such as stress, coping mechanisms, motivation, behavior change theories (e.g., Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior), and the impact of mental well-being on physical health. It includes understanding how psychological interventions can promote healthy behaviors, manage chronic conditions, and improve overall quality of life.
Lecture Learning Outcomes
Discuss the structure and access to the healthcare system in Ireland. This involves detailing the multi-tiered system from self-care to tertiary care, explaining the roles of different healthcare providers, and outlining the various pathways through which patients can obtain medical services, including the distinctions between public and private healthcare provision.
Outline what primary care is and how patients access this care. This includes defining primary care as the first point of contact for routine health needs, encompassing a broad range of services like health promotion, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. It also requires an explanation of how patients access these services, primarily through general practitioners and other allied health professionals, often influenced by their medical card or GP visit card status.
Discuss General Practice and how it fits into the healthcare system. This outcome requires an understanding of General Practice (GP) as a cornerstone of primary care, serving as the first point of contact for most health concerns. It involves explaining the GP's role in diagnosing and managing common illnesses, providing preventive care, making referrals to secondary care, and coordinating patient care within the broader Irish healthcare system, emphasizing its role in continuity of care and overall health management.
Structure of Healthcare Services in Ireland
The Irish healthcare system is structured in a tiered approach:
Self-care: The foundational level where individuals manage their own health.
Primary care: The first point of contact for routine health needs.
Secondary and tertiary care: Hospital-based specialist care, emergency services, and highly specialized treatments.
Understanding Primary Care
Definition: Primary care is an approach to healthcare encompassing a range of services designed to keep people well. These services include:
Health promotion and disease screening.
Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Personal social services.
Key Characteristics:
Provides the first level of contact for patients.
Easily accessible.
Strong emphasis on working with communities and individuals to improve health and social well-being.
Common Usage: The term 'primary care' is often used interchangeably with 'general practice' (GP) or 'family medicine', but it also includes other allied health services.
Primary Care Teams
Primary care in Ireland involves a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive services. This team typically includes:
GP (General Practitioner)
Nurse/midwife
Healthcare assistant
Home help
Physiotherapist
Occupational therapist
Social worker
Receptionist
Clerical assistant
Administrator
Podiatrist
Community welfare officer
Community pharmacist
Dentist
Dietitian
Psychologist/therapist
Speech & language therapist
Access to Healthcare in Ireland
Access to primary healthcare in Ireland operates on a multi-tiered system, which determines eligibility for free or subsidized care.
Primary Healthcare Access Categories:
Medical Cards:
Eligibility: Means-tested, but some discretionary cards are granted based on 'exceptional' medical need.
Benefits:
FREE GP care (including out-of-hours services).
FREE primary care services (though waiting lists and service availability can vary).
FREE medications (a small 'prescription charge' may apply).
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
GP Visit Cards (General):
Eligibility: Means-tested, available to individuals aged .
Benefits:
FREE GP care (including out-of-hours).
PAY for other primary care services (e.g., physiotherapy).
PAY for medications, but subject to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) with a maximum family payment of per month.
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
GP Visit Cards (Specific):
Eligibility: Provided to specific categories, including those under years old, over years old, and carers. There is an ongoing expansion to other categories of the population.
Private Patients:
Eligibility: Individuals who do not qualify for Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards.
Costs:
PAY for GP care (typically per consultation).
PAY for other primary care services.
PAY for medications, also subject to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) with a maximum family payment of per month.
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
Ireland: Europe's Outlier in Primary Health Care (Editorial Insights)
Unique Position: Ireland is the only European country without universal coverage of primary healthcare, despite being one of the richest countries in Europe.
Public Spending vs. Access:
Public health spending significantly increased from billion in to an estimated billion in .
Yet, % of residents do not have access to free primary healthcare.
Contrast with Europe: Other European countries generally cover GP visit costs fully or partially for their entire population through public health spending or compulsory health insurance.
Two-Tier System Dilemma:
Category 1: Individuals qualifying for free primary care (Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards) typically based on age, very low income (e.g., individuals aged <65 years without dependents earning <€184 a week), or chronic health conditions.
As of November , this category covered only about % of the population.
Category 2: Individuals who do not qualify for these cards, including many low-income and middle-income earners for whom primary care costs are a significant burden.
Impact of Inaccessible Primary Care:
Places tremendous strain on hospitals due to patients presenting for conditions that could have been managed in primary care at an earlier stage.
Example: In January , individuals were treated without a hospital bed due to overcrowding, despite record government healthcare spending for .
Proposed Reforms - Sláintecare Initiative:
Aims to establish universal access to healthcare based on medical need rather than financial means.
A national survey showed % respondent support for universal healthcare implementation.
Estimated Cost: Expanding free GP care to the entire population is estimated to range from million to million if implemented in , which is a fraction of the annual health spending.
Obstacles to Reform:
Financial constraints.
Looming shortage of GPs: one-fifth of the current workforce is aged over years, with many expected to retire in the next decade.
Conclusion: Healthcare spending is ultimately a political choice. The current system, which places the financial burden on individuals rather than the state, is misaligned with the principles of publicly funded healthcare.
Secondary Care
Secondary care primarily involves hospital-based services.
Types of Hospitals:
Public Hospitals: Run by the state through the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Voluntary Public Hospitals: Mainly state-funded but are sometimes owned by private bodies.
Private Hospitals: Receive no state funding.
Access to Public Hospitals:
Emergency Department (ED):
A fee generally applies for private patients who are residents in Ireland (with exceptions).
No fee for Medical Card or GP Visit Card holders.
Referrals from a GP for an emergency result in no fee for private patients.
Out-Patient Department (OPD - Out-patient Clinic):
No fees typically apply.
Accessed via referral from a GP.
In-patient Stay:
If admitted as a public patient, services are usually free, though some charges may apply for specific long-term stays (e.g., nursing home subventions).
If admitted as a private patient, fees apply for accommodation and specialist consultations, often covered partially or fully by private health insurance.
FFP1 Module Learning Outcomes
Effective Strategies: Utilize communication, collaboration, and interventions as part of a team. This outcome emphasizes the importance of interprofessional teamwork in healthcare settings. It involves developing skills to communicate clearly and effectively with colleagues, patients, and their families; collaborating on patient care plans; and implementing evidence-based interventions as part of a shared responsibility to achieve optimal patient outcomes and improve health system efficiency.
Global Trends in Morbidity and Mortality: Describe these trends using Global Burden of Disease study data. This involves understanding how diseases and causes of death are changing worldwide, including geographical variations and demographic shifts. Students will learn to interpret data from studies like the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) to identify leading causes of illness and death, risk factors, and their implications for public health policy and intervention strategies. For example, understanding the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in certain regions or the persistent burden of infectious diseases in others.
Calgary Cambridge Model: Display knowledge of its basic framework in communication. The Calgary-Cambridge guide provides a structured approach to medical communication skills, covering stages such as initiating the session, gathering information, building the relationship, providing structure, providing and eliciting information, and closing the session. Knowledge of this model helps healthcare professionals conduct patient-centered consultations, ensuring effective information exchange, shared decision-making, and empathetic interaction.
Personal & Professional Identity: Discuss the application of professionalism, leadership, and resilience to manage oneself and engage with patients, colleagues, and communities. This outcome focuses on developing a strong professional identity, characterized by ethical behavior, accountability, and a commitment to lifelong learning. It includes understanding principles of medical ethics, demonstrating leadership qualities within a team, and cultivating resilience to cope with the demands and stresses of a healthcare career, ensuring personal well-being while effectively serving others.
Fundamentals of Life & Pharmacology: Describe biomolecular, cellular, and biochemical fundamentals, and the principles of pharmacology. This encompasses a foundational understanding of the basic building blocks of life, including the structure and function of biomolecules (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids), cellular organization (e.g., organelles, cell division), and biochemical pathways (e.g., metabolism, energy production). Additionally, it covers the core principles of pharmacology, such as pharmacokinetics (how drugs move through the body—absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and pharmacodynamics (how drugs affect the body and their mechanisms of action), which are crucial for understanding drug therapies.
Social Determinants of Health: Describe these, along with the breadth and function of public health and health promotion roles. This outcome involves recognizing the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, such as socioeconomic status, education, housing, access to healthy food, and environmental conditions. It also explores the scope of public health efforts, including disease prevention, health surveillance, and health policy development, as well as the diverse roles played by health promotion specialists in empowering individuals and communities to improve their health.
Pathological & Immunological Processes: Explain the processes underlying disease. This involves understanding the mechanisms of disease at various levels, from cellular and tissue damage (pathology) to the body's defense systems (immunology). Key concepts include inflammation, infection, cellular adaptation and injury, necrosis, apoptosis, and the function of the innate and adaptive immune systems in recognizing and eliminating pathogens or aberrant cells. This knowledge is fundamental for diagnosis and treatment.
Microbiological Organisms & Infections: Identify characteristics of medically important microbiological organisms and the pathogenesis of bacterial infections. This focuses on classifying and understanding the key features of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that cause human disease. It includes learning about microbial structures, growth requirements, mechanisms of pathogenicity (e.g., toxin production, invasion), and how these organisms cause infections and disease states in the human body.
Microbiological Diagnostic Investigation: Explain the principles of investigation. This covers the various laboratory techniques used to identify and characterize微生物organisms responsible for infection. This includes microscopy, culture methods, biochemical tests, immunological assays (e.g., ELISA), and molecular techniques (e.g., PCR), as well as understanding the interpretation of results for effective diagnosis and treatment selection.
Psychological Principles of Health: Explain psychological principles for maintaining health. This outcome explores the role of psychological factors such as stress, coping mechanisms, motivation, behavior change theories (e.g., Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior), and the impact of mental well-being on physical health. It includes understanding how psychological interventions can promote healthy behaviors, manage chronic conditions, and improve overall quality of life.
Lecture Learning Outcomes
Discuss the structure and access to the healthcare system in Ireland. This involves detailing the multi-tiered system from self-care to tertiary care, explaining the roles of different healthcare providers, and outlining the various pathways through which patients can obtain medical services, including the distinctions between public and private healthcare provision.
Outline what primary care is and how patients access this care. This includes defining primary care as the first point of contact for routine health needs, encompassing a broad range of services like health promotion, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. It also requires an explanation of how patients access these services, primarily through general practitioners and other allied health professionals, often influenced by their medical card or GP visit card status.
Discuss General Practice and how it fits into the healthcare system. This outcome requires an understanding of General Practice (GP) as a cornerstone of primary care, serving as the first point of contact for most health concerns. It involves explaining the GP's role in diagnosing and managing common illnesses, providing preventive care, making referrals to secondary care, and coordinating patient care within the broader Irish healthcare system, emphasizing its role in continuity of care and overall health management.
Structure of Healthcare Services in Ireland
The Irish healthcare system is structured in a tiered approach:
Self-care: The foundational level where individuals manage their own health.
Primary care: The first point of contact for routine health needs.
Secondary and tertiary care: Hospital-based specialist care, emergency services, and highly specialized treatments.
Understanding Primary Care
Definition: Primary care is an approach to healthcare encompassing a range of services designed to keep people well. These services include:
Health promotion and disease screening.
Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Personal social services.
Key Characteristics:
Provides the first level of contact for patients.
Easily accessible.
Strong emphasis on working with communities and individuals to improve health and social well-being.
Common Usage: The term 'primary care' is often used interchangeably with 'general practice' (GP) or 'family medicine', but it also includes other allied health services.
Primary Care Teams
Primary care in Ireland involves a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive services. This team typically includes:
GP (General Practitioner)
Nurse/midwife
Healthcare assistant
Home help
Physiotherapist
Occupational therapist
Social worker
Receptionist
Clerical assistant
Administrator
Podiatrist
Community welfare officer
Community pharmacist
Dentist
Dietitian
Psychologist/therapist
Speech & language therapist
Access to Healthcare in Ireland
Access to primary healthcare in Ireland operates on a multi-tiered system, which determines eligibility for free or subsidized care.
Primary Healthcare Access Categories:
Medical Cards:
Eligibility: Means-tested, but some discretionary cards are granted based on 'exceptional' medical need.
Benefits:
FREE GP care (including out-of-hours services).
FREE primary care services (though waiting lists and service availability can vary).
FREE medications (a small 'prescription charge' may apply).
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
GP Visit Cards (General):
Eligibility: Means-tested, available to individuals aged .
Benefits:
FREE GP care (including out-of-hours).
PAY for other primary care services (e.g., physiotherapy).
PAY for medications, but subject to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) with a maximum family payment of per month.
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
GP Visit Cards (Specific):
Eligibility: Provided to specific categories, including those under years old, over years old, and carers. There is an ongoing expansion to other categories of the population.
Private Patients:
Eligibility: Individuals who do not qualify for Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards.
Costs:
PAY for GP care (typically per consultation).
PAY for other primary care services.
PAY for medications, also subject to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) with a maximum family payment of per month.
Population Coverage: Approximately % of the population.
Ireland: Europe's Outlier in Primary Health Care (Editorial Insights)
Unique Position: Ireland is the only European country without universal coverage of primary healthcare, despite being one of the richest countries in Europe.
Public Spending vs. Access:
Public health spending significantly increased from billion in to an estimated billion in .
Yet, % of residents do not have access to free primary healthcare.
Contrast with Europe: Other European countries generally cover GP visit costs fully or partially for their entire population through public health spending or compulsory health insurance.
Two-Tier System Dilemma:
Category 1: Individuals qualifying for free primary care (Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards) typically based on age, very low income (e.g., individuals aged <65 years without dependents earning <€184 a week), or chronic health conditions.
As of November , this category covered only about % of the population.
Category 2: Individuals who do not qualify for these cards, including many low-income and middle-income earners for whom primary care costs are a significant burden.
Impact of Inaccessible Primary Care:
Places tremendous strain on hospitals due to patients presenting for conditions that could have been managed in primary care at an earlier stage.
Example: In January , individuals were treated without a hospital bed due to overcrowding, despite record government healthcare spending for .
Proposed Reforms - Sláintecare Initiative:
Aims to establish universal access to healthcare based on medical need rather than financial means.
A national survey showed % respondent support for universal healthcare implementation.
Estimated Cost: Expanding free GP care to the entire population is estimated to range from million to million if implemented in , which is a fraction of the annual health spending.
Obstacles to Reform:
Financial constraints.
Looming shortage of GPs: one-fifth of the current workforce is aged over years, with many expected to retire in the next decade.
Conclusion: Healthcare spending is ultimately a political choice. The current system, which places the financial burden on individuals rather than the state, is misaligned with the principles of publicly funded healthcare.
Secondary Care
Secondary care primarily involves hospital-based services.
Types of Hospitals:
Public Hospitals: Run by the state through the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Voluntary Public Hospitals: Mainly state-funded but are sometimes owned by private bodies.
Private Hospitals: Receive no state funding.
Access to Public Hospitals:
Emergency Department (ED):
A fee generally applies for private patients who are residents in Ireland (with exceptions).
No fee for Medical Card or GP Visit Card holders.
Referrals from a GP for an emergency result in no fee for private patients.
Out-Patient Department (OPD - Out-patient Clinic):
No fees typically apply.
Accessed via referral from a GP.
In-patient Stay:
If admitted as a public patient, services are usually free, though some charges may apply for specific long-term stays (e.g., nursing home subventions).
If admitted as a private patient, fees apply for accommodation and specialist consultations, often covered partially or fully by private health insurance.