SF plan would see hundreds of GPs directly hired by State

Hundreds of GPs would be employed directly by the State under a Sinn Féin healthcare plan which is due to be published next week.

If elected to Government the party says it would deliver a public GP contract which it pledges to progress within its first 100 days in office.

The plan was developed after two years of engagement between medics, patients and those working across the health service with Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane.

It promises to hire 250 public GPs and to improve out-of-hours healthcare as part of a €852m investment package.

The party says it would increase GP training places by 60% and there would be a job guarantee for Irish healthcare graduates.

Sinn Féin also plans to establish a rural health commission which would be tasked with drawing up a ten-year rural health strategy.

This would aim to support local health services and improve access to major hospitals and ambulance services.