Ireland is running out of GPs -major crisis with a third emigrating,- a third retiring .
With over a third of Ireland’s newly qualified GPs emigrating and a third of GPs due to retire in the next 10 years Ireland is in danger of running out of GPs .
Over 1000 Irish -trained doctors are registered as GPs abroad with 704 Irish trained doctors registered in the UK and 313 Irish -trained doctors working in Australia ,120 Irish doctors obtained working visas in Canada .
In the UK the situation is chronic with tens of thousands of doctors hoping to quit the NHS and move abroad this year in search of better pay .
Again Australia top the list as the preferred destination followed by New Zealand then India and Canada .Better pay and quality of life are the main reason for the departure of so many doctors .
Irelands situation is more acute as demand in Ireland has increased significantly with a population in excess of 5 million people .Indeed the Irish College of GPs described the scale of GP shortage as a crisis .They warn that nearly a quarter of the country’s GPs are over 60 and are due to retire within 10 years with over 14% aged over 65 years and will retire within the next 5 years .
A major overseas campaign reaching out to GPs is required using the Irish diaspora network operated by Back 4 Good inorder to entice home these skill professionals.
The consequences of not addressing this critical issue today will result in large increases in waiting lists not just for hospital treatments but for patients waiting to see their primary care GP.
The programme for Government needs to include innovative strategies such as Back 4 Good with a targeted approach towards sourcing the required numbers of GPs .
