First stages of Universal GP Care in place by year end - Varadkar

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar hopes the first stages of Universal GP Care for over-70s and under-6s will be in place before the end of the year.

Mr Varadkar told RTÉ’s Today with Seán O’Rourke programme that he believes the implementation of universal GP care for the two age groups before the end of 2014 is “very realistic” due to advances in modern technology.

“Particularly for under-6s, we can just have people sign up online,” he said.

Mr Varadkar was speaking about an article he wrote for today's Irish Independent, in which he called for a delay in the introduction of the Government's Universal Health Insurance (UHI) plan, calling it "too ambitious."

Mr Varadkar also said he planned to postpone the abolition of HSE, saying it should “remain in place at least until all of this has bedded down”.

“We’ve talked a lot about universal health insurance, but meanwhile more and more people are giving up their health insurance because they can’t afford it anymore or downgrading their policies,” he said. “I’m trying to work with the main insurers to get people back in the health insurance system, particularly younger people.”

Mr Varadkar said the Irish health system was currently focused on treating disease, whereas the system should be “moving towards a health service that’s about keeping people well.”

He added that he plans to take an “active interest” in public health in the coming 18 months. When asked about the growing problem of obesity, he said “huge numbers of diseases can be avoided or ameliorated by changes in lifestyle.”

In his article, Mr Varadkar said “personally I think we need to get Universal GP and Primary Care right and show people that it works before trying to bring Universal Health Insurance into the hospital system.”

“That’s why I think the original timetable to have Universal health Insurance in place by 2019 is too ambitious.”

Fine Gael and Labour made a commitment following the 2011 general election to introduce UHI by 2019. It was seen by the Coalition as a way to completely transform the way the Irish health service is structured and funded.

It would aim to eliminate the current two-tier system of public and private medicine and to end the practice of queue-jumping for treatment by people who can afford to pay or who have private health insurance. It would be mandatory for all to have cover for a basic package of services - known as a basket - from one of a number of different insurers.

The State would pay the premium for the lowest income groups and provide subsidies for others. People who refused to take out cover would have it provided for them, with the cost deducted at source from their earnings or benefits.

Last week, Mr Varadkar said he believed the Government had “bit off more than we could chew” when taking power, specifically referring to how quickly universal healthcare could be introduced.

"I do think that probably when we came into office as a Government we bit off more than we could chew. We have tried to bring in universal healthcare in too short a timeframe," Mr Varadkar said in an interview last week on the Tonight with Vincent Browne show.

Last month, under plans brought to Cabinet by the Minister for Health, the Government said it had agreed to provide free GP cards for all children over the next three years, as well as to those over the age of 70.