NINETEEN GPs based in Tralee have signed up for the Free GP Care for Under 6s scheme according to the latest figures from the HSE.

The figures show that 68 contracts from Kerry GPs have been received out of a total of 88 – a 77% take up according to the Executive.

Today Minister Leo Varadkar and Minister Kathleen Lynch officially launched the registration system for the new Free GP Care for Children Under 6 service which will commence on July 1.

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Parents are encouraged to visit www.gpvisitcard.ie  for more details and to register their children for this new service.

A HSE public information campaign on the new service also kicked off today and aims to encourage the parents of 276,000 children under 6 who do not have a medical card to go to www.gpvisitcard.ie  to register their children for this new service.

Mr John Hennessy, HSE National Director for Primary Care, explained; “The online registration system on www.gpvisitcard.ie is a simple process requiring each child’s PPS number, gender and date of birth, a parent’s or guardian’s PPS number and contact details and the selection of a GP of choice.

Parents or guardians should go online and complete a simple 5 step process. If their GP of choice is accepting online registrations they simply submit their completed application online and await GP acceptance. If their GP of choice is not accepting online registrations, they complete the form online, print it and bring it to their GP of choice for acceptance and return it to us by post. If any parent or guardian needs help or guidance they should contact our LoCall helpline 1890 252 919 and we will gladly assist,” he said.

From July 1st all children under 6 will be eligible for GP care free at the point of service. They will also benefit from age-based assessments focused on health and wellbeing, identifying obesity and other problems early, and the prevention of disease.

These assessments will be carried out once when a child is aged 2 and again at age 5, in accordance with an agreed protocol.  The service will include an agreed cycle of care for children diagnosed with asthma, under which GPs will carry out an annual review of each child where the doctor has diagnosed asthma.

The HSE continues to receive signed contracts from GPs and will process these and update the participating GP list as quickly as possible.

The full list of participating GPs is published on www.gpvisitcard.ie.

Below is the list of Tralee-based GPs signed up for the scheme (as of Thursday, June 18 according to HSE information)

• DR.JOSEPH ARTHURS, OAKPARK MEDICAL CENTRE

• DR.DAVID BUCKLEY, THE ASHE STREET CLINIC, 36 ASHE STREET

• DR.JOHN DAVID CHUTE, FAIRIES CROSS MED CTR, CLOUNALOUR

• DR.MICHELLE COOPER, 17 ASHE STREET

• DR.JENNY CRUSHELL, FAIRIES CROSS MEDICAL CTR, CLOUNALOUR

• DR.CATRIONA D’ARCY, OAKPARK MEDICAL CENTERE, OAKPARK, LISTOWEL ROAD

• DR.PATRICK T. ENGLISH, 2 OAKVIEW, TRALEE

• DR.MARY GLANCY, FAIRIES CROSS MED CENTRE, CLOUNALOUR, OAKPARK ROAD

• DR.JOSEPHINE HERBERT, CLOUNALOUR MEDICAL CENTRE, OAKPARK

• DR.UWE HILD, THE ASHE STREET CLINIC

• DR.JOHN K. HOLMES, 5 HOFFMANN’S TCE, , BASIN ROAD

• DR.MICHAEL MC GRATH, CARRAIG MEDICAL CENTRE, 5 GAS TERRACE

• DR.ANNE MCSWINEY “ST. IVES”, CAHERSLEE, TRALEE

• DR.KATHLEEN MURPHY, CLOUNALOUR MEDICAL CENTRE, OAKPARK

• DR.BRIDGET O’BRIEN, 59 BOHERBEE

• DR.MAURICE O’HALLORAN, OAK PARK MEDICAL CENTRE

• DR.THOMAS J O’REGAN, FAIRIES CROSS MEDICAL CTR, CLOUNALOUR

• DR.GERARD O’SHEA, CLOUNALOUR MED CTR, OAKPARK

• DR.PIETER JACOBUS VAN DER MERWE, FUCHSIA MEDICAL CENTRE, BALLINORIG BUSINESS PARK