Laois families forced to seek GPs in Dublin amid shortage
The shortage of GPs in Laois has been raised by Brian Stanley
Families in Laois were recently forced to seek a GP in Dublin due to the chronic shortage of GPs in the county, a Laois TD has said.
Laois TD Brian Stanley raised the issue with the shortage of GPs in the county again this week in the Dáil.
Last month, fellow Laois TD Willie Aird told the Dáil that the shortage of GPS in Laois was “deeply concerning.”
Addressing the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, Deputy Stanley said that the shortage cannot be treated with a “hands off” approach by the Government.
“I’m raising the issue of the shortage of GPs again, particularly in the context of Laois. There is a shortage of GPs in the main towns across the county. There is a problem for medical card and non-medical card patients, including families with children,” Deputy Stanley said.
The Independent TD said that local people have been forced to look outside the county for medical care.
“In the past few days two families tried to get a GP in Portlaoise, Portarlington and Mountmellick. One parent had to take time off work to go to a practice in Dublin. People are going to the accident and emergency unit with common illnesses for treatment. That is what is happening. There is a public health issue here.”
With a growing population in Laois, Deputy Stanley said there is a dependence on private practices. He noted that the HSE has informed him that they are not in a position to advise on the number of private GP practises providing primary care in Laois. Deputy Stanley said this kind of response “does not suffice.”
“I am aware a strategic review is under way. That review is supposed to be considering directly employed GPs. Where there are areas of serious population growth such as County Laois, I ask that the Government employ a few directly employed GPs to provide care.
“The Minister was down last week. We had the opening of the accident and emergency unit, but it is getting clogged with people who should be getting treated in primary care,” Deputy Stanley urged.
Responding to Deputy Stanley, the Taoiseach advised: “Some 43% of the population now has access to free GP care and Government investment has significantly increased.
“There is a strategic review of general practice currently under way, and I presume it will take on board some of the issues the Deputy has raised in terms of growth areas in population and the need for greater access to GPs more generally.”
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