Six and seven-year-olds now get free GP care in Ireland; Register for free GP visiting cards.

Free GP care extended to six- and seven-year-old children. It will benefit about 78,000 children. Parents and guardians of six- and seven-year-old children can register for free GP visit cards as the scheme is rolled out.

The Free GP Care scheme allows children to visit the doctor for free. Current GP visit cards for children aged five and under will be automatically extended until a child turns eight. 

Applications can be made at hse.ie/gpvisitcards

If you have a child under 8, you can register for an Under 8 GP Visit Card.

• Under 8s GP visit card
• Read more and register online for an under 8s GP visit card.

It takes seven to ten days to process. However, if a GP is not available and an out-of-hours service is not available, people should go to the emergency department.

For those unable to register online, the HSE offers options to register by post. The card also includes free visits to the doctor, two- and five-year-old assessments, GP home visits and out-of-hours emergency GP care.

The HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry,  As described, He acknowledged the pressures GPs have faced in recent years and the huge contribution they have made to protecting the population during Covid-19. "This is an important milestone in healthcare, where people do not feel like a barrier to accessing primary care," said Dr Henry.

Increasing access to general practice for 78,000 children under the age of eight, while the number of consultations increased by 30%, will increase the workload of general practice. However, the HSE is working hard with the Department of Health and Minister Donnelly to expand the number of GPs. The Department is also making further interventions to integrate the working community in Ireland with a highly innovative program bringing in experienced GPs from abroad who have decided to make Ireland their home.

Workforce planning needs to be initiated for various areas of the country where there will be an acute shortage of GPs in the next few years. The HSE notes that more than 20% of GPs are over 60 and 14% are over 65.