Investment needed to tackle A&E crisis, says opposition

HEALTH MINISTER Mary Harney should kick-start investment in the GP and community healthcare sector to tackle the A&E crisis, the opposition claimed yesterday.

Fine Gael’s health spokesperson Dr Liam Twomey made his comments as relatives of patients in the Mater Hospital protested outside the Dáil about overcrowding.

The Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) reported 222 patients on trollies around the country.

Dr Twomey warned the minister the GP sector will “collapse in the coming years” leading to even greater chaos in hospitals if it doesn’t receive funds.

Dr Twomey said GPs provided 22 million consultations to Irish people each year.

“They, along with community and public health nurses, are the first part of the chain. If a person can’t be seen by a GP, they will attend A&E.

“If just 5% of people were forced to go to hospital because of a lack of doctors, an extra million people will converge on accident and emergency wards,” he said.

Dr Twomey said numerous reports have shown the primary care sector provides excellent ‘value for money’.

“This fact too should appeal to Mary’s Harney’s political instincts. Research has shown that GPs tend to look for much less tests than junior doctors in A&Es as they are much more experienced doctors.”

According to the Wexford GP, the country is already in the midst of a GP manpower crisis which looks set to worsen.

“If you look at the Taoiseach’s constituency alone, the number of patients to every GP has risen to 2,500.

“The national average is one GP to every 1,500 patients,” he said.

“Inner city areas in Dublin and rural areas are the worst affected as they are often see as being less attractive due to what is perceived as less attractive working conditions and a bigger workload.”

A lack of places on GP training courses and a rise in female GPs, who are choosing to work part-time, is also believed to be contributing to the problem, according to the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO).

Meanwhile, the newly formed health service division of SIPTU yesterday called on the minister to inject some vitality into the “flagging health reform programme”.