Rural GP shortage
Carol Nolan said rural GP practices were under threat and Laois-Offaly had a chronic shortage, with many doctors unable to take new patients. The Taoiseach said GPs were under severe pressure but Ireland now had more GPs and GMS contract holders than ever before.
Page 5 of the programme for Government states that the Government will focus on guaranteeing the sustainability of rural GP practices. There is a chronic shortage of GPs in Laois-Offaly. Indeed, I was contacted at the weekend by an upset parent who could not get access to a GP for her daughter who was home from college. We need urgent attention on this. A report showed that 100% of GPs in Laois cannot take on additional patients, while in Offaly, only 20% of GPs can take on additional patients. This is an issue that I have raised in this Chamber previously but we have seen no action. Will the Government convene an urgent stakeholder forum to address this crisis and what other actions will the Government take to ensure that it stands by the commitment in the programme for Government that there is access to rural GPs?
Comment on this
GPs across the country are working hard and they are under a great deal of pressure. Such demand for healthcare is a consequence of a rising population and also an ageing population. However, they are under pressure and they are working really hard, and in my view they are doing a great job.
It is important to put on the record of the House that notwithstanding what one might think from the newspapers or the media, we now have more GPs in Ireland than ever before, more GPs who have a got a General Medical Services, GMS, contract with the HSE than ever before and more GPs on the Medical Council specialist register than ever before. The number of GPs in Ireland is going up, not down.
As for what we will do to make sure that continues, we are increasing the number of GPs we are training every year. The number of training places is now being increased every year. I am pleased to see the number of young doctors applying to get on a GP training scheme was at its highest ever level this year. It demonstrates to me that confidence in medicine and general practice as a career is being restored. More young doctors applied to get on the GP training scheme than in any year in the history of the State, and that is a good sign.