Warning that Donegal is facing a shortage of GPs

A Donegal doctor has warned that the county is facing a shortage of GPs due to the shortfall in younger doctors joining general practices in recent years.

With a significant number of GPs due to retire in the next five years, and younger replacements are not in a position to take over,  Stranorlar-based Dr Denis McCauley said getting suitable candidates to replace retiring doctors “is going to be a problem”.

“There is a capacity issue in general practice, generally”, the Chairman of the GP Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said, due to the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Fempi) cuts to GP funding which were introduced in 2009. 

There is a large cohort of older GPs that have not been able to take on younger doctors in recent years due to the cuts, he said.

The cuts were reversed in January but the positive benefit will take some time to be seen on the ground.

Long out-of-hours work and the disparity in the amount of out-of-hours work between different GP practices in the county is also an issue that needs to be addressed, he said. 

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“There will be a shortage of GPs in Donegal in the next five years unless younger doctors are attracted to join practices,” he said. 

“For that cohort of GPs that are about to retire, there is going to be difficulties getting young GPs to fill that.

“There are a number of GPs who will be retiring soon. Getting young GPs to replace them could be an issue in the short term as well.”

For patients that could mean difficulties in being added to practise lists and longer waiting times for appointments. 

“When you ring to see your GP, if there aren’t enough GPs to service the work, you are going to have to wait longer to see that GP.”

The end of the Fempi cuts may stop younger doctors from immigrating, he said.

“Hopefully there is now financial stability in general practice again and the Irish Medical Organisation can go out and try to promote general practice to young GPs as a viable option now.”