Submissions

Members of the traveller community die younger, and have higher levels of respiratory illness, infant mortality and mental health problems than the general population. General practitioners are the main point of contact for accessing health services for the vast majority of the traveller population. The 2010 All Ireland Traveller Health Study found that up to 91% of travellers obtain their health information from GPs. The Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community heard the views of the College regarding travellers' health today (Tuesday Nov. 5th), and how outcomes can be improved.

Cork-based GP and Irish College of GPs President Dr Mary Favier represented the College with the College Medical Director Dr Tony Cox.

"Travellers should have improved access, participation rates and outcomes in the health care system," Dr Favier said. "The very high prevalence of suicide amongst travellers is of particular concern. Measures that would help include sessional counselling in general practice, culturally-appropriate awareness campaigns, and out-reach services signposted in primary care."

Dr Tony Cox added: "The health differences between travellers and the general population are avoidable, and with appropriate resourcing and planning, these issues can and should be addressed urgently. The Irish College of GPs looks forward to playing a significant role in this area."

Download College submission (PDF, 438KB)

The Irish College of GPs is the professional body for general practice in Ireland, and the representative organisation on education, training and standards in general practice.

Three representatives - Dr John O'Brien (President), Dr Mary Favier (Vice-President) and Dr Tony Cox (Medical Director) - attended the session of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health  (Wednesday 19 September) to discuss the clinical guidelines being prepared in light of the impending introduction of abortion services in Ireland.

They presented a submission and summarised the ongoing work on designing a service, primarily in the provision of clinical guidelines, which meet the needs of its patients.

The ICGP has engaged in a member engagement process to help generate possible solutions in the design of a termination of pregnancy clinical care pathway.

Download the opening statement (PDF, 565KB)

Watch a playback of the Oireachtas meeting (playback starts at 0:59:00)

On Wednesday 21 March 2019, Irish College of GPs representatives Dr Mark Murphy, Chair of Communications, and Dr John O'Brien, Vice President, attended the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on Prescribing Trends Monitoring.

Download the College's Submission to the Joint Committee on Health on Prescribing Pattern Monitoring and the Audit of Usage and Effectiveness Trends for Prescribed Medications

View webcast of the College's presentation (from 43:55)

The crisis in mental health services in Ireland has become a crisis in general practice according to the Irish College of GPs, which presented a detailed submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Mental Health in relation to GP-led primary care expansion on Thursday 14 December 2019

"Every day, people who are troubled by mental health problems attend GP-led teams," said Dr Brian Osborne, Director of the Mental Health Programme at the Irish College of GPs.

"GPs are the first port of call for many persons experiencing mental health difficulties, including symptoms of depression, when person feel suicidal, anxiety disorders, addiction problems, body image disorders, and behavioural symptoms in dementia. Furthermore, GPs provide physical and psychological support to those persons with life-long mental health conditions such as schizophrenia."

"But there is a crisis in the mental health services, with GPs unable to give sufficient time to these presentations, where patients cannot access specialist psychiatric units, where there are no specialist units for children, and where patients in crisis have no choice but to attend Emergency Departments (EDs) and leave out of fear or frustration is also a crisis in general practice. Without the reversal of the FEMPI cuts, a new contract, and a genuine commitment to the funding required to expand primary care, GPs will not have the capacity to protect or care for our patients with mental health issues." 

"The Irish College of GPs has consistently raised the crisis in ED services and access to diagnostics for patients requiring urgent care. It is in the area of mental health - where patients are most vulnerable and most at risk - that the draconian cuts in health funding during the recession had the most tragic effects. Time to talk properly with people has been progressively stripped out of our system of care, as a result of years of cuts in GP-led primary care", said Dr Brendan O'Shea, Director of the Post-graduate Resource Centre. 

Download the College submission document

View a webcast of the presentation (from 0:22:05)

On Wednesday 7 February 2018, representatives from the Irish College of GPs attended the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Healthcare to discuss medication and talk therapy.

Download the College submission document (PDF, 242KB)

View a webcast of the College's presentation (from 0:52)

On Wednesday 29 November 2019, two representatives of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Brendan O'Shea, Director of the Post Graduate Research Centre, and Dr Mark Murphy, Chair of Communications, attended the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health in relation to 'Primary Care Expansion' as recommended in the Sláintecare Report produced by the then Committee on the Future of Healthcare.

"We welcome this invitation to discuss the recommendations for the expansion of primary care in the Sláintecare report," said Dr Mark Murphy. "Building expansion in GP-led primary care is essential for the transformation of the Irish healthcare system."

Download the College submission (PDF, 229KB)

View a webcast of the presentation (from 0:59:08)

The Irish College of GPs today (Thursday 12 October 2017) presented its submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

The College's representatives, Dr Brendan O'Shea, Director of the Post-Graduate Resource Centre, and Dr Karena Hanley, National Director of GP Training, spoke on the written submission made to the Committee, which addresses the College's perspective on crisis pregnancy, focusing on the health of the woman with no distinction being drawn between physical and mental health.

Download the College submission (PDF, 242KB)

View TV playback of the presentation (begins at 1:12:35).