The Irish College of General Practitioners has reiterated its caution that Ireland may soon confront an increasing dearth of General Practitioners, with more practitioners approaching retirement in the future. In response to concerns surrounding the retirement of Dr Mireille Sweeney, the local GP in Ardara, Co Donegal, who served the community for 29 years, the college acknowledged the gaps in the succession plan.
Local parliament members are worried as no successor has been identified yet. Speaking on the RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland show, Prof Liam Glynn, a representative of the organisation, indicated that such situations are not unusual and that many communities are facing similar challenges.
He highlighted that with more than a quarter of existing GPs aged over 60, the scarcity of GPs is likely to become more commonplace, particularly within rural communities. He asserted the importance of identifying both short and long-term resolutions to alleviate the problem.
Prof Glynn noted that numerous individuals are striving diligently to combat these foreseeable issues, including local stakeholders, the HSE, and the Irish College of General Practitioners. Recently, measures have been taken such as the establishment of a new national standing committee and the appointment of a rural lead to further this effort.
Notwithstanding, he acknowledged the hurdles in tempting younger doctors to rural practice, emphasizing the need to enhance appeal for these positions. He expressed that support is expected from the rural practice support framework, an agreement due for revision this year between the government and the Irish Medical Organisation, which represents the doctors.
A common concern among rookie doctors entering an indigenous practice, according to a recent poll, is securing locum support. This research indicated that a third of general practitioners reported they couldn’t secure cover for annual leave. Remarkably, if a third of a profession’s workforce is unable to secure leave cover, the risk of professionals abandoning the profession may increase over time. Efforts need to be amplified to train additional GPs and place specific emphasis on general practice by the newly constituted strategic task force to mitigate the challenges prevalent in this field.
In County Clare, a striking instance arose when a GP vacancy in a local practice was advertised thrice with zero applicants. Prof Glynn credits the local Health Services Executive in the Midwest for initiating the Rural Fellowship programme. When tied to the practice, the position suddenly attracted three applications and currently is in the state of being filled.
There are possible solutions to support older GPs moving toward retirement and leading in new GPs, given the availability of determination and resources. However, certain fundamental issues inevitably need to be resolved, with locum coverage undoubtedly being one of them.