GPs step up action over rural ‘crisis’

GPs are stepping up their campaign for the provision of a new Government package to tackle the “crisis” facing general practice around the country.

A series of public meetings organised by Clare GPs — which started in Corofin last night — aims to exert more pressure on Health Minister Leo Varadkar to reverse cuts that have resulted in a 38% loss in income for general practice in recent years.

This follows the revelation that GPs along the West of Ireland are travelling over and back to Britain to provide locum cover in an effort to earn additional income. One Clare GP, who didn’t wish to be named, has confirmed he completed three 10-day stints in the UK to earn additional income.

He said others were also completing short-term locum stints abroad on a regular basis in an effort to make their practices viable.

Fears have been expressed that more villages like Feakle will be left without a resident GP when the incumbents in single-handed rural practices retire.

Feakle was one of the first Clare communities left without the services of a resident GP in June 2014.

This marked the end of an era for the East Clare village, which had an assigned GP for more than 50 years.

Despite advertising the post on three occasions, the HSE could not attract a doctor to provide this vital service.

Patients in Feakle must now travel to Tulla, Scariff, or Gort to access a GP.

According to international best practice, there should be 64 general practitioners for every 100,000 people.

However, the Irish Medical Directory shows Clare has 59 GPs for a population of 117,000.

A number of doctors’ unions have submitted proposals to Mr Varadkar to treat more patients with certain medical conditions, which would reduce the numbers requiring to travel to the overcrowded emergency department in University Hospital Limerick.

However, this depends on an increased level of funding for general practice, which Clare GPs argue is wholly justified, considering every €1 spent in primary care saves €6 in secondary care.

A delegation of GPs from rural communities throughout the country met the Fine Gael health committee recently to highlight the issues affecting general practice in rural areas.

The delegation outlined the pressing need for resources, the lack of which has plunged the service into a crisis not seen in Ireland since the mid-1980s.

Delegation member Dr Liam Glynn accused the Government of “sleep walking” into a GP manpower crisis, with up to half of newly-qualified doctors choosing to emigrate, as they didn’t see any future in general practice in Ireland.

“Community general practice receives less than 2.5% of the overall health budget, despite having over 90% of the patient contacts in the health service. This is compared to 8.9% in the UK, where they are currently campaigning to see that increased to 11%.

“General practice is the universal frontline service, nationwide. Every day, our highly-qualified GPs provide high-quality, comprehensive, continuous care across the country. Now, Ireland is losing these doctors to emigration and retirement,”Dr Glynn said.