GP shortages in Lucan
Deputy Higgins said Lucan’s rapidly growing population could not access GPs and cited a constituent waiting four years to get on a panel. The Taoiseach said the Government was working to increase medical training places and the number of new GPs.
No one who lives in Lucan, as I do, can sign up as a new patient with a GP; their books are full. However, as the census will show, it is a rapidly growing area, home to not one but two strategic development zones. Despite Sláintecare, people cannot access their medical first port of call, the GP in their community. A constituent has been waiting for four years to get on a GP's books. Because she is a private patient, there is no support or intervention for her. Fourteen GPs in Lucan take medical card patients but it is not enough for our growing population. Last year 223 doctors began GP training. What policies will the Taoiseach introduce to keep them in Ireland and encourage them to practise in growing communities like Lucan?
Comment on this
Yes, indeed. I know the Minister for Health is working with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to see if we can produce additional places, as we did last year, particularly in the medical field. We need to create more opportunities for people to study medicine and we need to create more opportunities for graduates to become GPs. That is being worked on as we speak.