Free GP care for all by 2022 ‘is unrealistic’
PROPOSALS to roll out free GP care across the board by 2022 are unrealistic, the Irish Medical Organisation’s president said yesterday.
Addressing the organisation’s annual conference, Dr John Duddy said the IMO supports universal healthcare in theory – but added that the timeframe set out for its implementation is unfeasible.
He said: ‘The reported proposal to roll out free GP care for all in the next five years is unrealistic and likely unachievable, based on current staffing and funding in the primary care setting.
‘I think it’s almost unachievable. Unless we have some sort of explosion in our medical workforce and in terms of the budget for health also.’ Speaking after his address, Dr Duddy continued: ‘I saw this morning that there are 10 posts on the GP training scheme that haven’t been filled this year. So general practice is becoming less attractive.
‘What we saw with the introduction of the under sixes, as predicted, that did increase demand in service.
Dr Duddy continued: ‘If you look at it realistically, we’re going to have a big cohort of GPs retiring in the next five years. We’re training about 270 GPs a year so we’re not training enough people to replace those who are retiring.
‘How can we expand services... when the workforce we have to provide those services is reducing?’
Dr Duddy said that without increased investment and recruitment, the plans are unattainable.
The IMO also voted to introduce a tiered complaints process so that allegations are categorised according to their severity.
North Dublin GP Dr Ray Walley said major and minor complaints are currently awarded the same weight and medical practitioners are ‘guilty until proven innocent’.
Attendees also voted in favour of endorsing supervised injecting rooms, and urged the Government not to limit the availability of medicinal cannabis products in any future legislation by restricting their prescription to consultants.