Discussion Document: Delivering Quality Medical Care in Irish Nursing Homes February 5, 2020

The Delivering Quality Medical Care in Irish Nursing Homes Discussion Document is aimed at encouraging debate about medical care in nursing homes in Ireland by identifying current practice and highlighting issues as identified by key stakeholders. It describes existing policy, legislative and regulatory provisions and current practice by GPs and locates these, as far as possible, with reflective practices in other comparable jurisdictions. It also describes blockages and challenges identified by key stakeholders and sets out possible options for addressing these. Areas where further research and development would be helpful are also identified.

It is not intended that the Discussion Document would be a definitive statement on the matter but rather a broad narrative on: 

a. Current GP practice in providing the medical care required by nursing home residents

b. The current and evolving challenges in doing so in a manner that is effective in meeting patients’ needs, and

c. Delivering care of the highest quality possible, and sustainable in the longerterm It is envisaged that the Document could be used as a basis for ongoing dialogue and policy
discourse in order to ensure that nursing home residents get the best possible medical care and on an equal basis with those living in the community.