There are more GPs currently under contract to work for the HSE then ever before and the total level of fees paid to family doctors is increasing, the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has said.

Speaking in advance of a protest to be staged by GPs outside Leinster House today, the Minister acknowledged that family doctors were under pressure. However he said that everyone in the health service was carrying out more work for lower salaries.

“We never had more GPs contracted to the HSE and total fees have increased since the change of Government,” he said.

Mr Varadkar said there was an opportunity for general practice to secure addditional resources under the Governent’s proposals to extend GP care for children under six and for adults over the age of 70.

He said that talks on these issues were underway with the Irish Medical Organisation which was the only body with a licence to negotiate on behalf of GPs.

Another GP representative body, the National Association of General Practitiioners (NAGP), is to stage a protest outside Dáil Eireann this afternoon.

It argued that general practice was at “breaking point” on foot of a succession of cuts to fees and allowances over recent years.

“ Patient safety and well-being is at stake, specific patient groups are being punished and more patients are being forced unnecessarily into expensive secondary care.”

It said that the Government was “ignoring general practice as representing the best value for the State and the tax payer”.

“ No investment in general practice means high emigration of young GPs and pressure on rural practices to close.”

The NAGP said that the Government’s plans for free GP care to selected groups - children under 6 and adults over 70 - would result in a threefold rise in GP consultation rates.

It argued that this would “result in shorter consultation times and three to five fold increase into secondary care as GPs will not have the time available to properly investigate and manage patient problems”.