Outrage as patients receive letters informing them Blarney GP service will be moved to Blackpool

“The most vulnerable people in Blarney are being hammered” by the decision to move a “required” GP service from Blarney to Blackpool, a resident has said.

Medical card and GP cardholders in the Blarney area received letters from the HSE on Friday informing them of the decision to move the GP service at Ashdale House 7.8km away to Broadlane Family Practice at 72 Great William O'Brien Street in Blackpool.

Patients first received correspondence from the HSE in December last year when the HSE outlined the interim GP service that would be in place for the duration of a campaign to identify and contact a permanent GP for Blarney following the resignation of Dr Una O’Halloran from the GMS Scheme on December 31.

The HSE said that while the interim service will remain in place until June 30, 2023, it has not been possible to arrange for the GMS GP service to be based in Blarney town.

The HSE is engaged in the final contracting stages with Dr Robert Gee, who will take up the position of the GMS GP in Blackpool on July 1, 2023.

Resident of Blarney Denis O’Donovan told The Echo he is “totally disgusted” by the decision, describing it as “absolutely shocking from the HSE”.

“We were told that we would be getting a GP and everybody thought the GP would be in Blarney and this is now just the HSE sticking plaster in my opinion.

'ELDERLY EXPECTED TO GET THE BUS'

“You have 500 to 600 elderly patients who are now expected to get the bus into Blackpool, these are 70 to 80-year-old people.

“The people that are being hammered here are the people with medical cards and GP cards, those are the people who got these letters. The most vulnerable people in Blarney got these letters. A huge percentage of us are over 70,” he said.

In the letter issued to patients, the HSE provided information on the 215 bus service which runs from Station Cross in Blarney to Blackpool Church, a journey duration of approximately 17 minutes.

“One of the worst bus services in Cork for timekeeping is the Blarney bus. That bus comes from Mahon to Blarney and back to Mahon and it is often caught in Mahon. Elderly, sick people are expected to wait in the rain at a bus stop waiting for a bus to come, it’s not on, particularly for the winter,” Mr O’Donovan said.

“Where are the politicians who told us not too long ago that it was going to be sorted?,” Mr O’Donovan queried.

“I would question our Government TDs who have been very silent over the last 12 months,” he said.

He said that there should be a want to future-proof Blarney in terms of providing adequate health services for current residents and those who will move to the area in the coming years.

“There are people moving into Blarney all the time. We have 2,500 houses going up in Ringwood in the next couple of years.

“Let’s plan for the future now rather than wait until those houses are up. There’s no planning for the future at all.” 

7.8KM JOURNEY

 Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould described the decision as “a disgrace” and said the people of Blarney have been “misled by the HSE”.

“When that closed a commitment was given that they would return the service to Blarney.

“Now, they’re expecting people to travel 7.8km, a lot of whom are either vulnerable or have a long term medical issue. It’s a disgrace of a decision.

“This is something we were afraid was going to happen and we were told by other politicians that we were making politics of it and that it would all be sorted and here we are now.

“Everything that I was afraid of and everything we were trying to stop happening has now happened,” he said.

Deputy Gould said he wrote to the HSE following the news on Friday and said he will be bringing the issue to the Dáil as soon as he has the opportunity to do so.

Independent city councillor Ken O'Flynn described the move as a "two fingered salute" to the people of Blarney.

"There was a GP ready to move into Blarney and take over the practice of Dr O’Halloran. However, HSE has taken the cheapest option possible, not taking into consideration the elderly people with young families and vulnerable and with absolutely no regard for those that do not have Medical Cards. A GP service for Blarney should be based in Blarney.

Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O’Sullivan told The Echo that “everything was done to secure a doctor for the village but unfortunately modern GP services have changed and a medical centre setting is a requirement”.

“That infrastructure doesn't exist in Blarney at present. I am hoping that Blackpool is a temporary location to facilitate existing patients.

“But it is my hope, and I will push strongly for a GP practice to be situated in Blarney as soon as the infrastructure will permit.

“The Blarney area serves a lot of areas, many of the people elderly and living in rural areas. I believe it is imperative that people have access to this service locally,” he said.

A spokesperson for Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) said: “The HSE is committed to providing a GMS service to the residents of the Blarney area and appreciates that this relocation will present a challenge for some GMS cardholders.

“Assurances have been made where there is a clinical need there will be no difficulty in undertaking a home visit within this location.”