Only 25 extra GPs employed despite Government pledges on doctor shortages

In 2022 there were 4,431 GPs in Ireland, rising to 4,456 in 2023. Picture: PA/file

Just 25 extra GPs were added to the workforce last year, despite Government pledges to address shortages, with only two counties reaching the recommended number of general practitioners.

Research by the Irish College of General Practitioners has shed light on shortages, contributing to waits of up to three weeks for non-urgent appointments, especially in rural or deprived urban areas.

In 2022, there were 4,431 GPs in Ireland, rising to 4,456 in 2023, with retirements and other departures almost outpacing new entrants.

Sligo had seven fewer GPs last year, Limerick nine fewer, with Dublin having 18 fewer than in 2022. 

Clare gained one doctor, but it still has only 68 doctors per 100,000 people and is one of eight counties the college marked ‘in the red’ for being under-resourced.

Dr Deirdre Collins, chair of the Irish College of GPs board, said they have been warning the Government about these shortages for some time.

“We would like there to be 100 GPs per 100,000 population in a county. In many counties we are not hitting that,” she said.

• Waterford (102) and Galway (also 102) are the only counties either at or above this target;
• Tipperary gained four doctors but sits at 78 GPs per 100,000 people;
• Cork gained five doctors, and at 98 GPs per 100,000, it is near recommended levels;
• Kerry, despite gaining six extra doctors, sits at 88 GPs per 100,000 people.

Patient numbers are only growing as population changes see people live longer, internal migration from Dublin to other counties, and high numbers of refugees, including for example 9,700 Ukrainians in Kerry up to June.

The college used Central Statistics Office population data and a workforce report published by the Irish Medical Council last week.

GPs have warned that the crisis is not going away either, with almost one in three GPs being aged 55 or older.

Dr Collins agreed that retirements are a "significant issue”.

Waiting times are also affected by GPs offering a wider range of complex treatments, she added.

"When you’re dealing with a more complex case, you’ve got to slow down," she said.

Patients put "great stock" on being able to see their own GP, which is one of the joys of the job for doctors, she said.

In a bid to address shortages, there is a record-high of 1,191 people now training as GPs through the college, supported by Government funding.

Separately, the International Medical Graduate Rural Programme saw 100 overseas-trained doctors take up two-year posts, with more to come.

Stephen Donnelly said GP numbers are a 'very real and live concern'. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Earlier this month, speaking to reporters in Dublin about GP numbers, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said “it is a very, very real and live concern”.

He said access is “getting better and better, but there are definitely areas where there is concern".

During a recent visit to Gorey, he said the biggest issue people raised was limited access to GPs.

However, he expects this to change. “For every one GP who retires, we now have about two GPs entering practice," he said.