A redefinition of general practice, with an emphasis on teamwork and patient advocacy, is set to be approved by family doctors this weekend.
Meeting in Galway on the 20th anniversary of its establishment, the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) will also publish a formal response to the health reform process, which will call for the development of teamwork in primary care, and which will be debated at an open forum today.
The forum will hear of the barriers that currently inhibit general practice from performing to its full potential. These include manpower shortages affecting both GPs and other primary care team members, poor management structures in health administration and the dominance of economic priorities over health and social policy.
The redefinition of general practice, which was driven by the changing needs of family practice training, closely follows a 2002 European definition of the speciality of general practice/family medicine.
However, the ICGP has modified the 11 characteristics of general practice to reflect the realities of healthcare in the Republic.
These changes include an emphasis on protecting marginalised patients, a need to take on an advocacy role on behalf of the patient when needed, and a recognition that family doctors must maintain a patient-centred approach as the speciality changes in response to healthcare reform.
Dr Margaret O'Riordan, chairwoman of the college's curriculum development committee, told The Irish Times: "General practice is a complex, challenging job, one that we want to do to the best of our ability, but we are restricted by a lack of funding and the manpower crisis."
The business section of the annual meeting will debate a motion from the West Midlands faculty of the ICGP calling for the extension of a cervical screening programme in the mid-west to the rest of the State.
Other motions will trigger debate on the Hanly report and the Government's alcohol strategy.
The new ICGP chairman, Farranfore GP Dr Eamonn Shanahan, begins a three-year term of office this weekend.