ICGP renews calls for Working Group on the future of general practice

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) has renewed its call for the urgent establishment of a Working Group on Future General Practice.

The ICGP appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health alongside the IMO on Wednesday to discuss the serious issues around GP capacity and the impact that will have for patients and for plans to expand GP care that is free at the point of access.

According to the ICGP, it is estimated that Ireland needs over 2,000 GPs over the next decade, to meet impending retirements and population growth. Over 700 older GPs are due to retire in the coming decade.

Cork-based GP and Medical Director of the ICGP, Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, said: “Ireland has 29% fewer GPs per head than the UK, and existing GPs are seeing increased workload and demand.

“The College has steadily increased its training numbers, and we aim to train 350 per year by 2026. But at present, innovative solutions are needed to address these workforce problems and in particular the retention of GPs when qualified.” The College has called for the urgent establishment of a Working Group on Future General Practice, to plan for future health provision including the expansion of free GP care and workforce planning with all stakeholders.

Dr Quinlan said that the voice of General Practice must be heard in these major decisions.

We welcome the completion of the transfer of GP training from the HSE to the ICGP, and we are working closely with the HSE on the expansion of training places for GPs.

“We saw during the Covid-19 pandemic how central and significant the role of general practice is in Irish healthcare. Now is the time for GPs to be central to the plan for future healthcare delivery.

“The outlook in general practice is more positive now, with fewer GPs emigrating and the introduction of the Chronic Disease Management programme. We need to ensure General Practice continues to provide high-quality care to patients and ensure it continues to be a stable and rewarding career for GP graduates,” he said.

The IMO warned the Committee that a generation of GPs has already been lost to other health systems due to cutbacks imposed on funding to General Practice during the years of austerity and while those cuts have finally been reversed, Ireland faces an ongoing capacity issue.

Professor Tadhg Crowley of the GP Committee of the IMO said: “The capacity problems within the GP service have been building for over a decade now. We know what has caused the problem and it is up to Government now to listen to solutions.

We cannot afford to lose more of our highly trained graduates who are in such demand from other countries where they can deliver care with better resources, better structures and team supports.

"Over 29 million consultations take place in General Practice each year. 90% of those are dealt with by GPs and do not need any onward referral.

“GPs have shown that when they are supported they can deliver for patients. All the evidence shows that moving more care to the community is good for patients, but we need GPs in those communities and in sufficient numbers to meet the increased demand.”