Half of GPs have signed under-six contract – HSE

Some 1,232 GPs out of a total of 2,413 have signed up as of yesterday (9 June).

Compiled by Local Health Office Areas, the number of sign-ups to date is as high as 93 per cent in Donegal, and as low as 8 per cent in South Tipperary.

Other areas with particularly low sign-up rates so far include Cork-South Lee and Louth(both at 22 per cent), Kildare/West Wicklow (25 per cent), and Limerick and Meath (both at 28 per cent).

In contrast, areas with a high sign-up rate include Roscommon (90 per cent) and Longford/Westmeath (81 per cent).

In Dublin, the percentage ranges from 73 per cent (North West Dublin) and 71 per cent (Dublin West) to 32 per cent (Dun Laoghaire; Dublin South East).

“The HSE continues to receive signed contracts from GPs and will process these and update this list – and the online registration process for parents – up to and beyond the start of public registration for the new scheme next week,” said a HSE spokesperson today.

Public registration for the under-sixes free GP scheme will commence from next Monday (15 June) in order to “facilitate commencement of the new service” from 1 July, it stated.

“An easy to use online registration system will be available from next Monday for parents of children under-six to register their child,” said the spokesperson.