Patients struggling to access GP care across Louth

Patients in Dundalk, Drogheda and across Louth are facing more and more difficulty accessing GP services, according to a Louth Labour TD who has been inundated with complaints from desperate constituents who cannot find a local doctor.

Deputy Ged Nash TD explained: “In recent months, more and more constituents who are new arrivals to the area are contacting my office, saying they cannot register with a local GP.

“Not only are these constituents being told by local GPs they don’t have the capacity to take them in the short-term, GPs cannot even give an assurance they will be able to increase capacity, in the future.”

On foot of these concerns, Deputy Nash tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Health on the issue but was not comforted by the response.

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The Louth Labour TD said: “The Government had little to offer that will make an impact on this crisis in the short or even medium-term.

“The government is hoping that changes to GP’s pay and conditions will attract more doctors into the sector but even if they are right, that will take time to work through the system.

“What we need is greater investment by government in primary care and better support for the greater workload GP teams and our community pharmacists are being asked to do.

“The government admits there is currently a vacancy for one GP offering care to medical card holders, in the Drogheda area.

"The HSE has launched a recruitment process to fill that vacancy and there is a locum in place in the meantime.

“But even if this vacancy is filled, it is clear to me that we have a serious capacity issue here and recruiting one more GP will not be enough.”

Deputy Nash concluded: “The government says a strategic review of GP services is due to commence shorty and be completed, this year and that is welcome but we need more than reviews. We need action and we need it now.

“It is simply not acceptable that a government who tells us often that primary care is at the centre of their health strategy is allowing a situation to exist where people are struggling to register for GP services. We don’t have a health service, if people cannot access it.”