While most people are in favour of free healthcare, the vast majority do not believe that providing free GP care to all children aged five and under should be the first step towards this, a new survey has found.

The survey of 1,000 adults was carried out last month on behalf of the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP). Participants were asked to select their preference as a first step towards universal healthcare from three options:
-The provision of full medical cards to people over the age of 70
-The provision of free GP care to all children under the age of six
-Raising the income threshold for medical card qualification.

Just 20% chose free GP care for young children as their first option. Even among parents, just one-third were in favour of this.

The most popular first step was raising the income thresholds for medical cards.

According to NAGP chief executive, Chris Goodey, the association believes that the provision of healthcare to those who need it most, whether medically or financially, should be the priority.

"The results of this survey show that the public also believes that the first step towards universal healthcare should be raising the income threshold for medical cards. This is the fairest way to introduce universal healthcare and will have the greatest impact on the population as a whole, particularly those in the squeezed middle," he insisted.

He said that Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, has ‘summarily dismissed the concerns' of GPs about the proposal to provide free care to young children.

"GPs are not in favour of the scheme. The public is not in support of the scheme. So why the Government is insistent on railroading it through is beyond me.

"We can only hope that the lack of public support for the initiative will finally convince the Government to abandon the scheme and focus scarce health funding on initiatives which can deliver real benefits for the population as a whole," Mr Goodey added.

The survey was carried out nationwide by Amarach Research.