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Today's protest Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Doctors warn general practice in Ireland is 'on the brink of collapse'

GPs said that the lack of funding and resources available to them have made Ireland “the laughing stock of Europe”.

DOCTORS HAVE WARNED that general practice in Ireland is “on the brink of collapse”.

About 300 GPs attended a protest organised by the Natioanl Association of General Practitioners, in Dublin city centre this afternoon to voice their concerns about the current state of general practice funding and resources.

A number of those present said that the sector has been disproportionately hit by a 40% reduction in funding, compared to 14% for other health services.

Speaking at the protest, Dr Ruairi Hanley, a GP based in Drogehda Co Louth, told TheJournal.ie: “General Practice in Ireland is on the brink of collapse due to severe funding cutbacks over the last five years, which have resulted in devastating consequences particularly for younger GPs in smaller practcies who now find themselves financially unviable and are being forced to emigrate.”

He said that the closure of practices would led to patients “ending up on trolleys in A & E Departments”.

GPs have called for 2% of the overall health health budget to be diverted from secondary care to general practice. They denied this would result in other health services suffering, instead saying it would lead to a more efficient system in the long run as it is cheaper to treat patients at primary care level.

Dr Ciara Kelly, a GP based in Greystones Co Wicklow, said that general practice is “vital for poor, vulnerable sick people”.

“If it is gone, it is gone. It will not be easy to replace.”

Ahead of the protest Health Minister Leo Varadkar said he fully acknowledged “GPs are under pressure, both financially and in terms of workload”.

“The same problems are facing everyone in the health service. Nevertheless, more GPs are taking up contracts with the HSE. Latest figures show there were 2,416 GPs contracted to the HSE in April 2014 compared to 2,258 at the end of 2010.”

“The Government wants to increase resources to Primary Care as part of the transition to Universal Health.

“I strongly encourage GPs to seize the opportunity presented by the new contract negotiations and the proposal to extend GP care without fees to the under sixes and over 70s as the best way to get more resources into General Practice. It’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be lost,” Varadkar stated.

Hanley said that it was “very disingenuous of the minister to suggest that because of the opening up of the system to allow more GPs to get contract this somehow says everything is hunky dory, it’s quite the opposite”.

“On a contract you might have only 10 patients, you might have 1000 patients. So young GPs with those contracts are often sitting in practices that are financially unviable and in many cases they’re shutting them down and leaving the State,” Hanley noted.

He added that there is “a perfect storm developing of a manpower crisis and increased patient demand”. As well as young doctors emigrating, many of Ireland’s 3,000 GPs are nearing retirement age.

Hanley said that he was hopeful Varadkar’s appointment to the health department would signal a new era, adding it “wouldn’t be hard” for the new minister to do better than his predecessor James Reilly.

Leo Varadkar is clearly a very bright, able guy. He’s a GP himself although he more or less jacked it in at an early stage. I can’t blame him, to be honest about that one.

‘Laughing stock of Europe’

Hanley noted that in Ireland 2% of the overall health budget is spent on primary care, while the NHS spends 10% on the same services in Britain. He added that we would need about 1,000 more GPs to meet the European average.

Dr Andy Jordan, a GP in Tallaght, said that the lack of funding and resources available to doctors here had made Ireland “the laughing stock of Europe”.

“You cannot introduce a 40% reduction in funding and expect the services to remain the same,” Jordan commented.

Doctors at the protest were also opposed to free GP for under 6s and over 70s, saying it will remove vital private revenue and result in longer consultation times.

“GP care cannot be free and never will be be free,” Hanley said.

Read: More than 360,000 people are on hospital waiting lists

Read: GPs to protest for the first time ever, but services ‘won’t be affected’ while they’re out on the streets

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71 Comments
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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:24 PM

    Everyone should have access to a GP for €15 or €20 with the state balancing the payment up to €40. Free means you will not get a same day appointment anymore. People with medical cards go exactly twice as often as a person with no insurance at all. The only people who should have totally free GP care are the chronically ill.

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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:35 PM

    You get same day appointments with your GP?

    I’m in a small town with a health center with two or more GP’s on duty daily, yet you can never ever get a appointment on the day unless you are literally dieing.

    Last time I looked for an appointment they offered me one 10 days away, 10 days!

    If I do attend an appointment for say 9.30am its usually 11am by the time, the quickest I’ve been seen is 30min after the appointment time. I’ve never once been seen ontime.

    55
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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:36 PM

    In France, 5 years ago, 2 of my kids got chicken pox. Brought them to the GP over there at 8:30am on a Saturday – his normal opening time. He charged me €22 for the first child, €3 for the second and told me to follow up with my GP when I got home

    As my GP only does Monday to Friday, 9-5, and I work, I had to bring them to K-Doc at €65 each.

    Madness

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:41 PM

    Would there be many medical cards in the town Martin? When something is free, it is over used. At the slightest sniffle I’d bring mine if I had one. It’s human nature. But at €50 (or €65) a pop, I think about it. Wait a day or two. Obviously if visibly I’ll I’d bring them, but just saying when u have to pay even something, u think about it first

    90
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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:47 PM

    When it comes to medical cards certainly not above avg,

    The only people I’ve seen who can get an appointment right there and then is the likes of my dad if he experienced a unusual pain or is suddenly very tired….but then he is in his 80′s and has had some health problems so I’d very much expect that!

    24
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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:22 PM

    I guess u need more GPs then

    43
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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:08 PM

    Rip off Ireland. Nothing ever changes on this God forsaken Island

    30
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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:10 PM

    And still they whinge and whinge.
    An Beal bocht.
    The national pastime of the rich.

    16
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    Mute Continent Simian
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:25 PM

    A GP’s surgery is a small business, with very high overheads, typically run by someone with big loans to pay and a lot of work to do.

    If they have problems, our health suffers. So we really should listen when they say they have a problem.

    172
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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:48 PM

    And what about everyone else with big loans and lots of work? No press conference for us, nope just more bills and ever increasing overheads. If they dont like it let them pay back the cost of their education and take their chances elsewhere

    43
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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:14 PM

    Are there any single GP businesses left in the country.? Perhaps one or two in Leitrim.

    5
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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:29 PM

    Plenty where i am, and its not leitrim

    26
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:24 PM

    We are. Canada, Australia, and Middle Eastern countries are welcoming us with open arms. Pay and conditions are far better outside of Ireland. This leaves Ireland, which is already short of doctors, with even fewer. Hardly the best solution for Irish patients.

    62
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:24 PM

    @Sean, to clarify

    10
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:25 PM

    @Sam even

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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:45 PM

    While i regret anyone leaving the country its a choice thousands of other well trained and qualified people have made over the last few years so your sector is no differant. The others didnt get marches, widespread media attention and press conferences though.

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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 10:58 PM

    We don’t “get” marches, we organised and chose to demonstrate, along with a press conference, which the media naturally will report on. There were quite a number of anti-austerity marches, and if any one group of workers wanted to demonstrate they were free to do so (many did).

    We’re highlighting what we see as a threat to patient care in Ireland. Since patient care is how we make money of course it affects our livelihoods too, but it’s an issue for everyone in the country if the health service falls apart. I’m not sure why you’d be against us voicing our concerns.

    31
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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 12:47 PM

    I am sure everyone’s tiny violins are playing for the poor GPs who are now emigrating. The GP service in Ireland is so inefficient and a total joke and bad value for public money. I say that as someone who goes to see all my doctors for free in another EU country and who pays 5 euro per prescription. Irish doctors are NOT badly paid. Talk to a doctor from France or Germany or Spain or Austria and see what they earn and then see if you are hard done by.

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    Mute bigmac
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:24 PM

    Follow the Spanish example Doctors are civil servants who have a contract with the local health authority, who work a normal week and take turns on call. Every catchment area has a health centre depending on the population it can have consultants and specialists, the health centres also have an A&E so the hospitals are freed up. Where I live the village has a specialist centre so they see everything from prenatal care to psychologists and every thing in between so the hospitals are used for the most serious cases and operations, I recently only had to be seen for a broken finger, I was seen, x rayed and plastered up in less than 4 hours, the health centre took the x rays and sent me of to see the traumatologist in the hospital. Got to A-E and there was my appointment with my notes and x rays with the traumatologist so it was just on with the plaster and home

    97
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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:13 PM

    I know- I live there much of the year.
    It will never happen in Ireland.
    I guess there are too many vested interests who do not want any kind of an efficient system such as the Spanish model.
    (or low medicine prices 50% less than ireland and more-also the Spanish model)

    32
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    Mute Kev
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:19 PM

    At 60 euro a pop for a visit my heart bleeds..

    96
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    Mute significantrisk
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:20 PM

    The average patient pays zero euro.

    Ask your nearest mechanic how much a service would cost if most drivers could bring their cars in whenever they liked and not fork over any cash.

    134
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:48 PM

    The issue being protested (a lack of government funding) is the reason for the €55 charge. Private patients subsidise medical card patients, massively. If general practice were resourced properly, prices for private patients could come down.

    72
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    Mute David Burke
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:19 PM

    Still very nice cars in the carpark. They aren’t being paid in corn or cookies or whatever people can afford.

    66
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    Mute Christopher O Callaghan
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:04 PM

    I understand there must be cut backs but you never cut back health and if you do please god not by 40% vs 14% in other areas, and then to cut back our safety with the gardai. It’s really disappointing and will only continue until one of the TD’S or their family members themselves is affected by the cut backs which is disappointing. Health and safety the 2 things we always need.

    59
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    Mute Kev Dunne
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:25 PM

    The last few times I went I already knew what I had and essentially paid 50 quid for a prescription.

    Thats not the GP’s problem though, legislation needs to be changed so less medicines are ‘script only. That’s how you free up GP resources and save everyone time and money.

    58
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    Mute John B
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:37 PM

    These GPs need our support. Similar to hospital consultants, it’s a case of the older generation holding on to their pots of gold at the expense of their younger colleagues and patients. The only logical solution is to make GPs salaried public servants like everyone else in the health service then introduce free GP care for all.

    53
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:45 PM

    While as a trainee GP I appreciate your support, I think it’s unfair to pin this on established GPs. They are being as hard-pressed as the newly qualified ones in this instance. The issue is a lack of resources being given to general practice, not uneven distribution of resources. All GPs, and by extension all patients, are affected by this.

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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 1:03 PM

    I don’t know how you can speak for every GP in the country like this. My own personal experience of established GPs is that they are far from hard pressed. They pick and choose their clinic hours and they pick and choose the patients that they want to see. When I was a small child, our established GP happily came in the middle of the night to deal with small sick children and a frightened mother. He does not do that anymore. Not ever. GPs should choose. Public or Private. Not both.

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    Mute Mac Dara Powell
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:53 PM

    I dont have any sympathy for them, 55 euro to see a G P and then charges 25 just to get a prescription.

    50
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    Mute Veronica
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:02 PM

    I agree 100% its a total rip off

    38
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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:06 PM

    Go to Newry-or order it from Spain (when a pal is holidaying there)

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    Mute Mike Quirk
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:47 PM

    I never saw a GP go out of business in my life and I never will

    45
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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Sep 24th 2014, 4:58 PM

    Same with funeral homes and the GP’s know it!
    Its a bullet proof industry

    28
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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:31 PM

    Heard they were dying to get into the place … Boom boom

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    Mute Declan Larkin
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    Sep 24th 2014, 10:30 PM

    That was exactly the point of the protest Mike to inform the politicians and public alike – who like you have been fed a Gov PR stream of biased information for a decade – that some GPs ARE closing down their businesses and to emphasise that those who are trading are subsidising the medical card patients with income from private patients.

    22
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    Mute Veronica
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:01 PM

    My heart bloody bleeds for them… they put the price of a visit up to €55.00 recently which is insane considering that’s half my weeks wages & I cant get a medical card as I earn €10.00 over the threshold for entitlement… Then having to go to a pharmacy & pay more money for meds, this country is a joke… We must be the kost expensive country for GP service

    44
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    Mute significantrisk
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:14 PM

    The price of a visit for most of the people in the waiting room when you go is no euro.

    How much does a haircut cost? How much would it cost if most customers didn’t pay anything?

    77
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    Mute Patrick Varley
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:03 PM

    You blame the GP’s for this… the point of the protest is to highlight how unsustainable the system is. The reason you pay so much for your visit is because the vast majority of the GP’s time is taken up with patients that are on the group medical scheme. These appointments will usually run at a loss and as the surgery is a private business, those losses have to be recouped from other appointments, otherwise no more GP surgery. Misdirected anger. Think before you post.

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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 12:49 PM

    It’s not misdirected anger. If GPs want to see public patients, they should be employed on a salary scale similar to a hospital registrar. They should not be allowed to see private patients. They should be required to work a rota as per NCHDs are. This have your cake and eat it, in 2009, the average GP income from the General Medical Services scheme was in excess of 200,000 euro, and that did not include a penny from 60 euro visits from private patients.

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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:49 PM

    Similar to a hospital registrar? Some of the other points you have made in this thread highlight differences in our opinions, which is fine. This is simply insulting. A hospital registrar is a trainee, a GP is a fully qualified specialist and comparable to a hospital consultant.

    As regards rotas, any GP seeing public patients already does an on call rota as part of their contract, or makes themselves available 24/7 (most do the former).

    6
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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:16 PM

    Nobody should have to pay cash at a GP. This should be covered by Tax & PRSI. No cash for medical treatment for anybody. The amount of funds being wasted by the HSE, through real estate rental, contractors, pointless bureaucracy and old boys club corruption.
    We need independent auditors to take a look at what exactly is going on there, but as usual our faceless bureaucrats will block and prevent anyone from looking too closely.

    43
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    Mute noel bailey
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:17 PM

    This government is a disaster they are more interested in glorify their citizenship ceremonies no cut backs their,than they are looking after the basic needs of the Irish people,the health service in this country an absolutely disgrace.

    39
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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 1:08 PM

    It’s funny how services like GPNow can see patients for a flat fee anually and still make a profit, whilst paying rent, receptionists, etc, but the average GP can’t. I don’t think that is a problem with underfunding of GPs by the Government, I think that is a problem of GP’s expectations surrounding their income.

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    Mute Cooper L
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    Sep 25th 2014, 1:36 PM

    That’s a lie, one of those services had to shut down in Cork because it was non-sustainable.

    7
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    Mute William Nunan
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    Sep 24th 2014, 11:23 PM

    I love the GP bashing. You won’t miss them till they are gone.
    If you detest them so much then don’t go to them.
    Save yourselves the aggravation and the cost.

    34
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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 1:15 PM

    People don’t detest them. But when you look at the pricing structure of GPnow, you have to wonder what GPs in smaller practices are at, charging you 60 euro per visit, when some visits might not even last ten minutes. As mentioned further up in the thread, they also charge per patient, so if you are a parent bringing two small sick children to a GP at the same appointment, it costs more than 60 euro.

    2
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    Mute Jody Dillon
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:21 PM

    Total bs. Full unsubsidised cost of seeing a gp in France is 22 euro. It’s 50-60 euro in Ireland. I have no sympathy for them.

    18
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    Mute Declan Larkin
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    Sep 24th 2014, 10:41 PM

    Is that GP in France also paying the receptionist and nurse I wonder? How about the premises, IT, software and myriad insurances?. Does the French Gov pay his/her professional indemnity and is that as dear as in Ireland?. Does the French GP do unpaid night cover or is that a separate agency/contract as in the UK?
    If not that 22 sounds decent compared to what the GPs eventual take home on the more usual 50€ would here in Ireland Take out overheads at 50-60% not to mention tax @ 55% and I’d say the French GP is the more depraved capitalistic money grabber – making a real “killing” – compared to the Irish GP.

    34
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    Mute David Higgs
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    Sep 25th 2014, 1:10 AM

    But that means that every time someone goes to the GP they get 22€. In Ireland, if someone has a medical card, the GP gets 0€. (They get a flat annual fee of about 100€ instead). So the average income of a doctor in France is relatively ok, as they get paid per every patient.

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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 1:04 PM

    In 2009, the average paid to a GP on the GMS was in excess of 200,000 euro.

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    Mute Siobhan Delea
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:06 PM

    The new thing I’ve noticed esp in my local a and e is with a suspected fracture – wait 7 hours to be told you may or may not have a fracture, the results will be sent to your gp in 7-10 days – meanwhile u walk around with a broken foot / ribs etc etc! I’ve seen this happen 3 times in the last month to people I know!

    17
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:36 PM

    This is a different issue to what’s being discussed, but I agree. That’s why you’re better off going to a minor injuries clinic, where you avoid A&E, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner who specialises in fractures can see you quickly, treat you as needed or fast track you to an Orthopaedic Surgeon if it’s a more major issue. The Mater has a great minor injuries clinic where this happens. Unfortunately there isn’t enough of them around the country.

    But none of that has anything to do with underfunding of referral practice, except that it’s another example of a poorly managed health service.

    21
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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:42 PM

    *general practice

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:12 PM

    50 knicker a visit hungry hoors.

    16
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    Mute Lily
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    Sep 24th 2014, 5:03 PM

    My gp is out sick his loco couldn’t see me (too busy with 2 people in the waiting room), had to go to A+E (would have ended up there anyway) 50 euro is better than 100 euro. 3 hour wait at a+e but due to the nature of my condition I had to see a specialist on call. Total wait was an hour and she was brilliant. Gave me some kick ass meds that knocked me out for 2 days and took all the pain away. Went back to see her yesterday and I’m much improved. Have to go back to the clinic in a month and hopefully they will book me in for surgery.

    I only ever go to the gp if I’m in serious pain.

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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:04 PM

    All the GP´s in Dublin are now joined together in “Health Centres” where three or four of them have formed a limited company and employ a receptionist to take the cash at the front desk; and when one of them is away from their post the others can stand in for him/her.
    All very convenient-for the GP.
    There is not even an X ray machine in any of these glorified “Health Centres” and even if there were I doubt that the Radiologists union would tolerate their use.
    Instead you go and clog up the A&E with a suspected fracture/broken bone.
    Neanderthal.

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    Mute David Higgs
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    Sep 24th 2014, 6:17 PM

    Radiolgists Union?

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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 7:57 PM

    I’m not sure I see the problem here. You have access to several doctors in the one centre. If one is sick, another doctor who knows the place, the system, and likely knows you from a previous visit, stands in. Would you prefer a locum who doesn’t know you and who you will never be able to follow up with?

    As regards X-rays, chest X-rays are available on a walk in basis in most Dublin hospitals, with a GP referral (for others e.g. looking for a fracture, you probably want somewhere with more facilities than a GP practice anyway). It may be less convenient than having one in the GP surgery, but it gets seen and reported on by a radiologist, i.e. a specialist, rather than the GP who has no formal training in x-ray interpretation. So you get a better service.

    There is no radiologists’ union.

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    Mute Sean Mac Diarmada
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:00 PM

    I have no doubt they are a powerful lobby .Look at the power of the Pharmacies who will not even sell generic drugs-unless it is at the same price as the branded ones- so they make even more money.!

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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:16 PM

    Let’s examine this for a moment. Say there is a “radiology lobby”. What would the radiologists gain by preventing the use of X-ray equipment in general practice? The vast majority of plain film X-rays are done on the public system, since they’re easily accessible. If GPs did them (and interpreted them themselves), they would simply reduce the workload of the radiologists in public hospitals. Since radiologists are not paid per X-ray, they would be working less for the same money.

    You’re seeing conspiracies.

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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 12:55 PM

    You do not get a better service. How is it convenient for a patient to have to go to their GP and then get to their local hospital for an xray, their local hospital might be quite a distance away. When they get there, to the already stressed hospital, they will have to join the queue, it might take hours to be seen. Versus, have your xray taken in a health center and have (technological advancements are wonderful) your x-ray sent via the internet (have you heard of that?), to a hospital, to be reviewed by a specialist. XRays are digital now, or do you think film is still placed against a light? GPs should be able to deal with minor fractures, minor fractures should not require a visit to A&E. VHI clinics deal with fractures, as do small medical practices at the bottom of ski slopes. Oh, I forgot to say, the patient will have to pay to see their GP to get the letter to go to hospital and then will have to pay to see their GP when they go back again. That is not a patient-centric service, or a good service, or a desirable service.

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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:05 PM

    That would be far more convenient, but it would cost an absolute fortune. You need to consider the cost of the equipment, installing the equipment, maintaining the equipment, the space to put the equipment, licensing the software, lead-filled radiation protection clothing, lead shielding for the building, employing a radiographer to take the X-rays, and the time slots used up by this service that could otherwise be used for other appointments. All of this would need to be duplicated in the local hospital for the patients there.

    Which brings us back to the issue being discussed: general practice is not being resourced properly to cover existing services, never mind setting up a mini radiology department in every GP.

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    Mute Niall Ó Muirthile
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:45 PM

    I wasn’t going to take the bait, but I will in the interest of illustrating just how mad the Irish health service is. Up until very recently (within the last 2 years), many major hospitals in this country were still “putting the film up against the light.” I don’t know of any off the top of my head where this still happens, but I can tell you off hand that despite the introduction of a national imaging service, there are 3 separate systems being run in various Dublin hospitals that won’t talk to each other. Cork, to my knowledge, has a fourth. So it’s u fortunately not as simple as “sending them over the internet.”

    Also, you have repeatedly advocated for public only GP, with GPs as state employees. This is the system we have in hospitals, including the Emergency Departments which you have you highlighted as being problematic. Do you really want general practice (which is generally extremely efficiently run, contrary to what you seem to believe, because it’s a private business and has to be to survive), to be taken in under the HSE umbrella?

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    Mute Maureen O Connell
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:25 PM

    There are some excellent,highly qualified G.P.s in this country .We are very lucky to have them.It is sad to see them so undervalued here.They are trained to the highest level therefore I expect to pay them accordingly,after all health is wealth.Our hospitals are in crisis and it’s the community G.p s and Nurses who are working to prop up an under resourced,critical services.The Irish public will spend any amount of money on other frivolous items yet community healthcare is essential to maintain families out of hospital.

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    Mute Geraldine Lee
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:53 PM

    Get your script faxed to chemist up north. ..pay by card over phone and they are sent down. Half the price

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 29th 2014, 1:45 PM

    Simple answer to this, STOP GIVING OUR MONEY TO THE BLOODY GERMANS and look after your own people first Kenny you muppet !

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    Mute Brehon Law
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    Sep 24th 2014, 9:40 PM

    Insist on rejoining the UK then. The people deserve a cheaper quality of service whilst giving you access to more money and facilities than you currently have. Doctors today? Tsk!

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    Mute Daniel O Neill
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:13 AM

    The only thing that will collapse here will be the gp,s beds with the amount of money they have stuffed under the mattresses!

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    Mute Nua Dom
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    Sep 25th 2014, 12:39 PM

    GPs should choose their practice. Private or Public. Medical cards should be confined for use in hospitals only. If a GP has a public practice, then they they should be paid an annual salary, just like a non consultant hospital doctor is. Insurance for Public Doctors should be underwritten by the government. I wonder how many GPs would opt for public employment? That would be interesting. The publicly employed GPs could be on a rota system and they could be required to provide services including house calls seven days a week. It is absolute tosh to say GPs who see medical card patients get paid nothing. They entered into contracts with the HSE, you can see what that costs here: http://irishpatients.ie/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/part1-costs-of-general-medical-cards-2009.pdf
    If you were to hire 2500 GPs to see 2000 patients each and paid them, on a salary scale of 70,000-100,000 costs would e radically reduced and a better service would be provided.

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