GP conditions in Ireland currently

MrCreosote

Just curious if anyone has experience at the coalface about how things are for GPs in Ireland at the moment. The impression I get from social media is of almost a crisis- stress, unfilled jobs, locums hard to get, generally getting dumped on by the HSE, demoralised workforce etc etc. I was wondering if this is reasonably true or if it is just a noisy minority making the complaints?

I'm working overseas for a good number of years now, but always have half an eye on returning.

RobFowl

It's grim at the moment.
GMS cuts of 32-28% of gross has make the Medical card scheme on the verge of being un-viable. The under 6 contract if pushed though at the expected levels will tip it into a loss making business.
Locum cover getting far more expensive and difficult to source, good quality vocationally trained locums are now a rarity.
Work load is increasing and more and more work (monitoring, warfarin, following up tests etc, is being farmed out with no transfer or resources).
Every single GP I know his planning or considering and exit strategy and most would retire tomorrow if they could.
Sorry for being negative but it's as bleak as you can imagine.

MrCreosote

Sorry to hear that RobFowl.
I'll keep watching and not returning then!

Gael23

As a GMS patient and a fairly regular visitor to my GP over the last year or so, I have noticed things like consultation hours being reduced, which in my experience has been minor enough not to notice a big change, with the exception of their half day. You might not get a same day appointment if you don't ring early enough but if thats the case then you will be seen early the next morning.

It doesn't happen in my practice but I have heard of people being charged for bloods and so on which is what some GPs must doing to keep things afloat. I know things are almost certainly worse than I can see as a patient but on what Rob says, it cant get any worse than it already is.

exgp

RobFowl wrote: »

It's grim at the moment.
GMS cuts of 32-28% of gross has make the Medical card scheme on the verge of being un-viable. The under 6 contract if pushed though at the expected levels will tip it into a loss making business.
Locum cover getting far more expensive and difficult to source, good quality vocationally trained locums are now a rarity.
Work load is increasing and more and more work (monitoring, warfarin, following up tests etc, is being farmed out with no transfer or resources).
Every single GP I know his planning or considering and exit strategy and most would retire tomorrow if they could.
Sorry for being negative but it's as bleak as you can imagine.

43% in rural areas.

foreverandever

MrCreosote wrote: »

Just curious if anyone has experience at the coalface about how things are for GPs in Ireland at the moment. The impression I get from social media is of almost a crisis- stress, unfilled jobs, locums hard to get, generally getting dumped on by the HSE, demoralised workforce etc etc. I was wondering if this is reasonably true or if it is just a noisy minority making the complaints?

I'm working overseas for a good number of years now, but always have half an eye on returning.

I wouldn't just take the opinion of people on boards, general practice has its faults but the same could be said of most jobs.

You have to think of the other reasons you want to return as well, such as family reasons etc and weigh up the pros and cons and hopefully not look back and regret not moving because of a comment on boards