'Mopping the floor and the pipe is still leaking' - spotlight on cost of Laois doctor shortage

Laois people are not being diagnosed or not getting the treatment they need due to the shortage of family doctors in the county, according to a Laois TD.

The problem was detailed in the Dáil by independent TD Brian Stanley who said Ireland is out of sync with other countries.

"The ratio of GPs in this country is completely out of kilter with what it should be. The World Health Organization says there should be one GP per 1,000 of the population.

"In Co Laois, we have one GP per 1,700 population. More than 60 GPs are practising at any one time. In south Laois, the ratio is 1 per 2,300," he said.

The Portlaoise-based TD said the impact of it is obvious.

"While existing GPs do good work, access is problematic, people are not getting a timely diagnosis, and in some cases, people do not get the treatment they need. When patients develop more complex medical problems, they then have to go to the hospital," he said.

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Dep Stanley bemoaned the lack of proper premises in some towns.

"We need a new or vastly expanded health centre in Graiguecullen. We need the same in Rathdowney and Mountrath. A new primary care centre needs to be built in Portlaoise," he said.

The TD believes investment will benefit the public and hospitals such as Portlaoise.

"If we improve primary care, it will bring not just a healthier population, but it will lessen the burden on the acute services because, as has been said by others, people wind up there. I know that from staff working in the accident and emergency department in Portlaoise. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

"We have to stop the problem. It is like we are mopping the floor, and the pipe is still leaking. We can deal with this at the community level. This would reduce the demand on nursing home places. We would have a more efficient health system," he said.

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Speaking generally, he said cost can be a barrier for some as many working-class and low-income households do not have a medical card and may not be able to afford it. He said some GP practices cannot accept new clients.

He said there is a reliance on GPs who operate private businesses. While most doing very good work and are overworked, Ireland is odd one out in the EU where there are salaried GPs working in primary care community centres owned by the State health service.

He also claimed most young newly qualified GPs do not want to set up a GP practice because they need premises, staff, insurance, administration, utilities, then they face working an 80-hour working week for life. He said young doctors want to work in a nine-to-five job like everybody else.