The Irish College of GPs is the professional body for general practice in Ireland. The College is the representative organisation for education, training and standards in general practice, with 4,500 members and associates comprising over 85% of practicing GPs in the Republic of Ireland and 1,191 GPs in training.
The College welcomes the latest publication by the Department of Health on the challenges of demand for GPs in the future.
This paper shows that, while the numbers in GP training are sufficient to meet demand, some areas of the country face constraints – urban areas of rapid population growth, areas of urban deprivation, and rural areas serviced by single-handed GPs close to retirement. The Irish College of GPs has responded to the growing demand for GPs and the significant GP shortages by expanding the number of training places on its four-year training programme. The programme has 350 places each year, and the number of people being trained each year has expanded by 85% since 2015.
The Chair of the Board of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Deirdre Collins, said: “We are acutely aware of the impact of the growing population, and the ageing population, on GP services. This report by the Department of Health highlights, once again, the urgent need for planning to ensure that everyone who needs a GP can access one in a timely fashion. She added, “We need a real focus on rural and urban deprived general practice, and the support of the HSE in helping GPs who wish to set up new practices in areas of expanding population.” “We look forward to meeting with the Minister for Health and the Department to discuss these findings. We know that with resources and planning, we can help ensure that all parts of the country have an accessible GP service.”
The Medical Director of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, said: “The College, with the support of the HSE and the Department of Health, has 1191 trainees in supervised training places at present, while training places increased by 22% last year alone. He added: “The College has also initiated a successful International Medical Graduate programme for 150 international GPs to work in rural practices for two years, and we look forward to expanding that programme with the support of the HSE.”
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has predicted Ireland’s population of 5.3m will increase to between 5.9m and 6.3m by 2040.
NOTE – A link to the previous College press release on the analysis of GP shortages can be found here.