Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov

Leinster has longest GP waiting times for patients while Munster has shortest

The average waiting time for a GP has soared from just under 10 hours in 2010 to over 34 hours.

WAITING TIMES FOR patients to see their GP has more than tripled over the past five years, with Leinster having the longest average waiting time.

That’s according to a survey carried out on behalf of the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP).

The survey revealed that the current waiting time for a patient seeking a routine appointment with their GP has soared from an average of just under 10 hours in 2010 to over 34 hours (1 day, 10 hours and 25 minutes).

Leinster has the longest average waiting time for a patient waiting to see a GP for a routine appointment (37.8 hours), followed by Connacht (31.8), Ulster (30.2) and Munster (28.5).

The survey also found that the current waiting time for a patient seeking an urgent appointment with their GP has grown from an average of just over 2 hours (2 hours and 8 minutes) to 5 hours and 12 minutes.

Speaking at the launch of the NAPG’s Patient Wait’ campaign, Dr Yvonne Williams Chair of Communications said:

“These figures show how much pressure general practice is under at the moment and act as a warning sign for the safety of patients.”

 Long waiting times at emergency departments are a well-established phenomenon of the Irish health system but these figures confirm that the issue has spread to general practices.

Two GPs who took part in the survey said that patients would have to wait more than 14 days for a routine appointment. These results were excluded from the overall average.

The Gorilla Survey was carried out among 596  GPs over a 3-day period between October 16th and 18th.

Read: Union wants Beaumont Hospital to go off call as 41 people are on trolleys>

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
37 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Mc
    Favourite Paul Mc
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:27 PM

    What is the waiting list to see a hospital consultant? My wife is in agony and waiting over a year and yet we still hear these government apologists telling us things are getting better, absolutely disgusting this country has become.

    159
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Reardon
    Favourite James Reardon
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:32 PM

    These ministers are living in a bubble. completely out of touch with the citizens that elected them.

    119
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Wrath of Cheney
    Favourite Wrath of Cheney
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:39 PM

    Ye but don’t worry the minister for health is gay so he is allowed a free pass.

    82
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Wrath of Cheney
    Favourite Wrath of Cheney
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:40 PM

    Ye but don’t forget our Minister for Health is a gay so he is given a free pass.

    55
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute paul farrell
    Favourite paul farrell
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:42 PM

    Taught it was that funny u posted it twice ……

    67
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute john fairclough
    Favourite john fairclough
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:16 PM

    Leo has a mandate!

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Heslin
    Favourite Paul Heslin
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:10 PM

    I think the point of this research is that anything that is totally free is going to lead to long queues.
    Since free under 6′s came in, GPs are busier. It will only get worse while Leo continues on his misguided work expansion for GPs and easy vote seeking, while sick people find it more and more difficult to get seen.

    141
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anastasia Ryan
    Favourite Anastasia Ryan
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 3:07 PM

    Only 46% of general practice doctors registered in the country signed up for the Under 6 scheme. I think you might have to rethink your comment.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cupid Stunt
    Favourite Cupid Stunt
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 7:01 PM

    Paul. I’d love to see how you come up with the “it’s free” explanation, I’ve always been led to believe that it comes from General taxation, are you saying that doctors do this on a alteristic level, fair play to them.

    14
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lavbeer
    Favourite lavbeer
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 7:39 PM

    Do you disagree with Pauls comment in general? Or just nit picking? Because when UHI comes in (and free for u6 is the start) will kick off issues way beyond water.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Denis Maher
    Favourite Denis Maher
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:17 PM

    What did the idiots expect to have happened, giving free gp care to under 6 then under 12, they’ll be there every drop of a hat.

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:37 PM

    Outside of a weekend I don’t think I have ever experienced more than a days wait, call previous day and always get an appointment next day at some stage.

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sandra Turner
    Favourite Sandra Turner
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:48 PM

    My son was a week out of hospital with bad chicken pox when he started turning blue during a coughing fit. Rang gp and explained what happened they couldn’t see him for a few hours but said if I felt it was urgent I should go to a and e so I went to a and e and he was admitted for 5 nights with pnuemonia.

    53
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret Daly
    Favourite Margaret Daly
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 3:42 PM

    that’s scarey and not acceptable at all.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Armstrong
    Favourite Sean Armstrong
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:06 PM

    how was it unacceptable? a GP clinic is not an emergency department. they couldnt see him because they had agreed to see other people but said that they could see him that day… but that if it was an emergency to go to the EMERGENCY department. GP surgerys are for non-emergencies. emergency departments are for emergencies. unfortunately, Ireland is vastly populated with people such as yourself who cannot understand the difference.

    95
    See 7 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret Daly
    Favourite Margaret Daly
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:18 PM

    maybe I remember the good old days when GPs provided the first line of care and where they saw you and rang through to the hospital explaining the problem so that those in the AE were ready rather than waiting in line at an A&E.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Armstrong
    Favourite Sean Armstrong
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:21 PM

    you should Google “triage” where a patient is seen based on need rather than time waiting or whether they’ve seen the GP or not. occasionally, an MAU exists where a GP can refer a patient directly, but those usually only operate 9-5

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Suzie Sunshine
    Favourite Suzie Sunshine
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:22 PM

    I have to say if my child was turning blue I would have rang an ambulance and not a doctor .glad the child was ok though .

    60
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret Daly
    Favourite Margaret Daly
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:33 PM

    i hear what youre saying. havving lived in australia, they appear to be miles ahead wrt triage compared to here. the last time I a doctor im call I was told to go to AE not a medical centre because the doctor thought i was having what sounded like a heart attack. I told him that was a load of nonsense could I not go to some medical centre (i wasn’t familiar with the whereabouts of the medical centre) off to AE wasted their time no not a heart attack. what I’m saying is that I would have thought we are trying to reduce numbers going to AS as a first port of call!

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sandra Turner
    Favourite Sandra Turner
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:35 PM

    My gp is 1 minute from my house, the hospital is 15 mins away. The last time I called an ambulance it took 45 minutes to arrive. Also the hospital took 4 hours to see him because I had no go letter

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sandra Turner
    Favourite Sandra Turner
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:35 PM

    Gp letter

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret Daly
    Favourite Margaret Daly
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:52 PM

    depends who would be nearer? with the closure of regional hospitals such as monaghan and Louth it could be quite some journey to a hospital even without waiting for an ambulance

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lavbeer
    Favourite lavbeer
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:13 PM

    Interesting to see that stats for paying v non paying customers.

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Boyne Sharky
    Favourite Boyne Sharky
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 1:55 PM

    I know in my area you would be extremely luck to get a routine appointment with a GP within 34 hours, it would usually take the better part of a week, at least 3 – 5 days, and it could be longer. This is one of the reasons that people don’t wait and instead bypass their GP and go straight to the A&E Department, most of the time they don’t need to be there and present with relatively minor issues, but occasionally there’s that one patient who made the right decision.
    I’m curious why, if two GPs took part in this survey and responded honestly that patients would have to wait more than 14 days for a routine appointment with them, was their answers disregarded. This suggests that their answers were regarded as an aberration, but why ask them in the first place if it was already decided what the ‘norm’ would be?

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:00 PM

    No appointments available or No appointments available THAT SUIT individuals??

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Boyne Sharky
    Favourite Boyne Sharky
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 7:06 PM

    @Paul You have a point and I know during the boom years at least there were those who “didn’t do queues”, good for them if they can afford it I suppose.
    Back in the real world they’re unavoidable and it’s a question of where and how long, I assume if a patient booking an appointment with a GP says “no, this Thursday isn’t good for me, what about the following Friday?” then it isn’t exactly an emergency.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran OHalloran
    Favourite Ciaran OHalloran
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:02 PM

    “Irish by birth, Munster by the grace of God” as they say..

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Andrew Brennan
    Favourite Andrew Brennan
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:41 PM

    Never mind the Waiting Lists’, we have ‘Stability’ …….

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamsey
    Favourite Jamsey
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:57 PM

    We have the master of Rotunda on the front page of the Examiner this morning complaining about the ‘dumbing down of doctors’. His point being that we export ours and have to import replacements from countries that don’t have the same level of training that Ireland does.Of course who could blame a young Irish doctor for leaving when the healthcare system resembles the 4077 at the best of times.

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Roche
    Favourite Paul Roche
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 6:00 PM

    MASH.
    Good analogy.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kerryblue
    Favourite Kerryblue
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:03 PM

    It doesn’t matter what province you are in this government has broken all promises it made regarding health and on this alone shouldn’t be voted in for anouther term #sham

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lee Jones
    Favourite Lee Jones
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:07 PM

    i walk in to my doctors surgery and get seen to within 30 mins no problem

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret Daly
    Favourite Margaret Daly
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:20 PM

    if you dont mind me asking what part of the country is that in?

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Suzie Sunshine
    Favourite Suzie Sunshine
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:29 PM

    it’s a walk in , no appointment needed and still get seen to in 30 mins ? that’s some service !

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Reilly
    Favourite Michael Reilly
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 2:25 PM

    A survey carried out for a vested interest group and amazingly it comes up with the result the NAGP want.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Sands
    Favourite Michael Sands
    Report
    Oct 26th 2015, 4:05 PM

    Must have died waiting?

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds