A Chara,

In 2011, Fine Gael issued a document on transforming the health care services in Ireland should they be elected. This was called Faircare. Many of the proposals contained therein were laudable if a trifle optimistic. It became clear however over the current governments term that many of the proposals have been deferred or abandoned.
The proposal to extend medical cards to patients on the Long Term Illness Scheme was abandoned due to legal difficulties, Sufficient legal advice was apparently not taken to forsee this eventuality.
The proposal for a dutch style insurance based model of Universal Health Insurance has been deferred and many suspect this will be quietly dropped after the next election. There are other examples where, if the relevant planning and preparations had been made these complications could have been avoided.
The government are currently negotiating a new general practice contract with the Irish Medical Organsiation. They have excluded the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) which represent at least a third of the Relevant stakeholders. I fear that history is repeating itself and any contract that does not involve all of the stakeholders will not serve patients or their doctors well. I am a member of the IMO and have no affiliation with the NAGP but common sense would suggest that they be involved.

Yours etc
Seamus McMenamin
Family Doctor
Navan
Co Meath