The national protest planned by family doctors today comes amidst a strike by nurses and an overtime ban by psychiatric nurses.
It's a very serious period for patients, the health service and the Government.
The National Association of GPs is expecting around 500 of its 2,000 members to gather outside the Dáil for this protest.
Some practices will be closed to enable doctors to attend the protest. Others will have minimal staff for emergency cover.
It means that for some patients, there may be difficulties attending their GP for a routine visit today.
This protest is over several issues.
Doctors want fee cuts imposed under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act some years ago reversed by Government.
They point to the FEMPI reversal already for public servants and that GPs should be treated no differently.
They also want long-promised investment in the family doctor service under Sláintecare and a new contract.
GPs say that the medical card system can no longer cope and has been starved of cash.
The message from the NAGP today is that general practice has been abandoned and without urgent intervention is "not for resuscitation".
Talks on a new deal with GPs are under way between a rival union, the Irish Medical Organisation, and the Government and a deal may be coming soon.
But the NAGP is not at the table in those talks - a source of discontent to them.
The NAGP says that politicians are not listening to the problems of the family doctor service, including the fact that many GPs can no longer take on new patients.
Figures provided by the HSE suggest that gross funding in terms of fees and allowances for GPs have increased.
In 2017, GPs were paid €551m compared with €543m in 2016 and €490m in 2015.
GPs rarely partake in public protests with some patient impact, so this will be an unusual event in that regard.
