Free GP care will soon be made available to all children under 12

Free GP care will soon be made available to all children under 12.

The government plans to start rolling this plan out from 2020 with free GP visits first becoming available to children under 8 years of age next year, to those under ten by 2021 and later extending to kids under 12. The new initiative should be fully operational by 2022 as part of a wider plan which has been made together with the Irish Medical Organisation. According to RTÉ News, the idea has been agreed in principle but legislation will be required to implement this decision. Details of the deal were announced last night and next steps include a ballot for members of the organisation. Additional terms of this new deal include funding, believed to be in the region of €80 million so that new services can be made available to patients suffering from chronic disease. It's also believed that GPS will see the restoration of FEMPI cuts that were imposed during the recession with these rolling out over four stages from July 2019 until 2022. Free GP care for children under six commenced in 2015 and today's news will be welcomed by parents across the country.