Westport GP premises
Deputy Lawless sought replacement premises for a Westport GP practice whose building is being sold. The Health Minister said she would follow up with the HSE after local options had been pursued.
A GP practice in Westport is closing. The landlord is selling the building and the doctor has nowhere to go. The GP is effectively working her notice period for the HSE. The HSE has said there is no room in primary care. However, what the people of Westport need to know is what room will be found? The Government should be taking notice. The reality is that Government parties can find €2 million to furbish a meeting room to give councillors an extravagant chamber in Mayo County Council in which to discuss public services, yet the HSE cannot find a single room for a GP practice in Westport. The chamber in Mayo County Council gets a refurbishment and 600 public patients get a farewell letter in Westport. This is landing at the moment and I am very concerned that many of these patients may end up in the emergency department in Castlebar. What is the Minister going to do?
Comment on this
I take it the Deputy has already spoken to local HSE services and exhausted all of the local integrated healthcare areas, IHA, and regional options before raising this in the Dáil with myself and the Taoiseach, who have no knowledge as to the circumstances of this and cannot possibly respond to him?
Comment on this
I will follow up with the HSE but I assume he has taken it through those local channels before raising it here. I thank him.