7,573 Children to Benefit from GP Care in Tipperary
Posted by Alan Kelly on October 23, 2013 at 02:21 PM
Approximately 7,573 children in County Tipperary are to benefit from
the roll-out of free GP care, which was announced in this week’s
Budget.
I am pleased to confirm that approximately 7,573 children in
Tipperary will be eligible for free GP care when it is rolled out,
based on the latest Census data. This is a historic and significant
initiative which means that local families with children aged five and
under no longer have to give a second’s thought about visiting the
doctor when their child gets sick.
After years of making sacrifices to help stabilise the country, it is
only fair that hard-pressed families in Tipperary get something back
from this Government. The roll-out of free GP care, along with other
initiatives such as book rental schemes for every primary school in
Ireland, is a shining example of how the Government is trying to make
a tangible difference to people’s lives and circumstances.
I commend my colleague, Labour Minister Alex White, for championing
this particular issue at the Cabinet table for many months and I hope
that families in the locality can reap the benefits when the measure
comes into effect in the second half of next year.
There is clear evidence that people delay or avoid visiting their GP
where a fee is required. Removing this cost barrier will mean that
local families will be far more likely to address medical problems at
an earlier stage, leading to better outcomes and treatment that is of
less cost to the State.
The Labour Party has long been campaigning for the principle of
universal access to GP care and this is the first step. I am pleased
that a Labour Minister has delivered this historic public health
initiative which not only reforms our health service but also gives
back to families.
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