In the 2019 GP Agreement, funding was allocated to support and maintain GP services for communities with a high degree of social deprivation. This grant is a practice support and does not attach to the individual GP but to the entire practice. The below are minimum criteria for application and do not in themselves confer eligibility for grant support:

• The main centre of practice should be in an urban area. For clarity, urban is defined using the CSO definition as having a population of 1,500 or more.

• Practices that are in receipt of rural practice supports are not eligible to apply for the social deprivation support.

• Practices must have a minimum practice size of 350 GMS patients (for the purpose of this document a GMS patient is a holder of a Medical Card and excludes DVC holders) in order to be eligible to apply for the grant.

• Practices must also have a minimum number of 200 GMS patients living in disadvantaged areas (using Pobal indices) to qualify for the allowance.

• All patients in long-term care facilities are be excluded from this exercise as the address of the nursing home/care centre may create a distortion in terms of trying to assess the true socio/economic profile).

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The grant amount is according to the number of patients in socially deprived areas:

200-400 = €7,500

401-800 = €10,000

800+ = €12,500​​

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2021/2021 Process

• Practices that received a grant from the 2020/2021 allocation and who have submitted the required vouched receipts for last year’s grant to the satisfaction of the HSE are not required to submit an application for the 2021/2022 process.​ Such practices will be assessed based on the details contained in their 2020/2021 application.

• However, new applicants will be required to submit an application to the HSE. The application process for new applicant Practices for 2021/2022 is now open (details below).

• The funding allocation for 2021/2022 covers the period 1st of July 2021 to the 30th of June 2022. Practices who are approved for a grant may include Relevant Costs (defined below) incurred during that period.

• See 10th May 2022 circular here.

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Relevant Costs/Vouching
The grant may be used for costs incurred in engaging additional medical personnel, additional nursing hours, additional key worker hours, additional counseling hours or additional practice admin hours (i.e. Relevant Costs). It shall be a matter for the practice to ensure that the staff are suitably qualified, registered with the relevant professional body (where required) and are appropriately indemnified (where appropriate). These are examples only and are not exhaustive but highlight that the grant must be used for additional services and associated costs.

• However, for the avoidance of doubt the grant cannot be used to make payments to GPs in the practice who hold GMS Contracts.

• It cannot be used for stand-alone equipment or other practice expenses, IT or running costs etc.

• The grant cannot be used to cover costs of practice nurses and/or practice secretaries contracted hours for which a subsidy is already in payment.

  • However, the practice may include the cost of additional hours for such staff under this grant provision.

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Practices previously in receipt of Social Deprivation Grant:

GP Practices who complied with the 2020/ 2021 process (i.e. submitted vouched expenses) and qualify for a grant under the 2021/2022 allocation process have received 50% of their total approved grant amount in the April 2022 payment and will receive the balance of the payment in the June payment.

• A certified memo from their Accountant must be submitted to the HSE National Contracts Office for compliance purposes on or before the 31st of July 2022. Click the link for the Social Deprivation Certification Form for completion.

• Failure to provide a certified memo as per the attached, may lead to recoupment of the grant allocated.

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New Applicants - Application Process:

For new applicants they are required to complete the attached application form and return it to the National Contracts Office by email to urban.deprivation@hse.ie on or before 26th May, 2022. See circular here to view full application details and application form. 

• As part of this application process, please refer to Mapping Guide in the circular. 

• The HSE reserves the authority to have the mapping carried out in support of an application audited at a future date and the practice shall fully co-operate with the HSE in this regard.

• A record of the application should be kept by the practice. An e-mail acknowledgement will issue to the practice from the National Contracts Office.

• Only one application per practice should be submitted, as the grant is a practice support that applies to the practice and not to the individual GPs. Group practices, partnerships etc. should nominate one GP to complete the application and be responsible for it. The grant will be paid under the GMS number of the nominated GP.

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Enhanced Package for GPs Working in Areas of Deprivation (Winter 2020/2021)

Additional funding for the initiative was secured as part of the 2020/2021 winter plan supports. The initial level of funding was to apply to 100 practices but with the enhanced package the initiative facilitated over 160 practices which on application met the eligibility criteria. In 2021, each practice received grants of either €13,000, €17,000 or €22,000 on a once off basis - the amounts are now as above.