West Cork doctor: 'I fear for the future of general practice'

Dr Fiona Kelly in Castletownbere, West Cork. Multiple efforts to find a locum to provide cover for a single day failed, underlining the shortage of GPs. Picture: Andy Gibson

“I’m so so worried about the future of general practice,” says West Cork doctor, Fiona Kelly.

When the Castletownbere-based GP recently tried to take her first holiday in more than a year, she struggled to get cover and was forced to close her practice for a day. She says she is not alone and that GPs are struggling with the workload due to the crippling shortage of general practitioners nationally.