‘Russian roulette’ healthcare in Castletownbere

Dr. Fiona Kelly at her surgery in Castletownbere, West Cork, Ireland. Picture: Andy Gibson.

It’s just a matter of time before someone dies in Cork’s Beara Peninsula due to the lack of after-hours GP cover, one of Castletownbere’s two full-time GPs has warned.

Dr Fiona Kelly says it’s time the health service stopped “playing Russian Roulette” with people’s lives. 

She was speaking amid growing concern about the current SouthDoc staffing crisis in the region.

The area, which has a catchment of up to 7,000 people, has not had a full-time after-hours GP since the last one retired four weeks ago. And it won’t have one until a GP flies in from Egypt and starts on October 26. 

Further cover is arranged until January 31 but nothing is agreed beyond that date.

And while Dr Kelly and the only other full-time Castletown GP Dr Jacqueline Glisson offer a limited out-of-hours service Mondays and Tuesdays, there is no regular cover on the peninsula between Wednesday 5.30pm and 8am the following Monday.

“The system isn’t working,” Dr Kelly said.

“I feel like someone in the health service is playing Russian Roulette with people’s lives here.

“You should not have a situation where there is nobody working overnight and on call on a regular basis.

“I really fear it is now just a matter of time before somebody dies.”

Responding, a spokesperson for the HSE said, "We are in ongoing contact with SouthDoc about the recent issues relating to out-of-hours cover in the Castletownbere area.

“We understand an arrangement is in place to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“In the meantime, we are engaging with SouthDoc as a matter of urgency to make sure there is no disruption in service."