All Kilkenny children under age of 12 to be given free GP care

ALL Kilkenny children under the age of 12 will be entitled to free GP care under a new €210 million deal with doctors announced this weekend.

The free GP care will be phased in over the next three years.

Free GP visits for under-eights will be in place by July next year.  It will be available to under-10s in 2012, and for under-12s by 2022.

The rollout of free GP care to older children – already available for under-sixes – has been agreed “in principle” by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) following marathon negotiations.

Commenting on the deal, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “I am very happy that we have been able to conclude an agreement with the IMO on a revised GP contract.

“The Minister for Health [Simon Harris] and I are also signalling our intention to extend the free GP care scheme for children which currently applies to children aged  five and under, to all children aged 6-12.

“Alongside the new staff nurses contract agreed with unions earlier this week and the reduction in prescription charges and the widening of income limits for the GP Visit Card, I believe this represents a major step forward in the implementation of Slaintecare, increased resourcing of primary care.”