GP access 'collapsing' as Southdoc faces being overwhelmed

The HSE said 3,000 more people were seen by out-of-hours GP services around the country last week than the week before, coming to a startling 28,000 patients. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Access to GP appointments is “collapsing” and, as a result, out-of-hours services are in danger of being overwhelmed this Christmas, the medical director for Southdoc has warned.

The HSE said 3,000 more people were seen by out-of-hours GP services around the country last week than the week before, coming to a startling 28,000 patients.

The news comes as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pledges that all resources will be deployed to tackle the hospital overcrowding and trolley crisis. He met senior HSE officials yesterday and said it is not about “ascribing blame”, adding that he has full confidence in Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

“I want all resources available to be deployed immediately and over the winter period, and that includes the use of private hospitals, use of overtime, whatever can be done should be done to minimise suffering and inconvenience to patients,” said Mr Varadkar.

Responding to criticisms from Sinn Féin, the Taoiseach said he did not want to get into “political point-scoring”, adding that “the fact that a problem is predictable is not the same as solving it”.

As flu cases and Covid-19 infections spiral, people are turning to GPs for help over another illness-ridden Christmas period.

Southdoc’s Gary Stack said: “People can’t get same-day appointments” during normal working hours.

Daytime general practice is collapsing, and there is a spillover into the night services as a result.

“Our numbers are up 17% this year so far on last year. This is up 9% on 2019, that was our busiest year to date.”

Southdoc is funded based on the level of patients seen in 2019. Dr Stack said: “That is beginning to cause problems now, we are beginning to exceed the amount of funding provided for.”

He stressed that any patient who needs to be seen will be seen at all out-of-hour services, with priority levels based on clinical need.

The flu numbers are now so high, the HSE estimates there could be as many as 900 patients with flu in hospitals by early January.

It has established a national crisis management team to deal with the issue.

“From what GPs are seeing now, we have not peaked yet,” said Dr Stack.

Covid-19 is also a serious concern, with 667 patients in hospitals including 26 in ICU. Just two weeks ago, the number in hospital stood at 351.

The variant currently circulating (BQ.1) is more transmissible than other variants, although it is not seen as more virulent.

Dr Stack said: “We would appeal to patients to do an antigen test before they come in. You are potentially putting other people at risk.”

Bottleneck

As all of these sick people funnel into hospitals, it is creating a bottleneck in emergency departments, with 360 people on trolleys yesterday.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation have called for the Emergency Department Taskforce to meet again, and has urged the health minister to attend.

The Irish Patients Association’s Stephen McMahon, who also sits on this taskforce, pointed to reports in the Irish Examiner that the HSE board had not signed off on the current €169m Winter Plan, and urged them to reconvene and examine the planning.

Meanwhile, nursing home visitors have been asked to stay at home if they have Covid-19 or flu symptoms, as outbreaks are also on the rise in these vulnerable settings.