Sinn Féin study reveals scale of GP crisis in Ballina

Sinn Féin local election candidate for Ballina, Una Morris, has said the growing lack of GP services is becoming a real crisis in Ballina and across Mayo.

Ms Morris, who works in the Ballina office of Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh, said correspondence is being regularly received from people unable to access local dental services and GP services. She told the Western People that local GP practices are mostly not taking on new patients.

“Late last year, we contacted seven local practices in Ballina covering 30 GPs. The majority of these practices, including the two biggest practices in town, told us they are not taking on any new Medical Card or private patients,” said Ms Morris.

“Another GP, who is a solo practitioner, tells us he maintains a waiting list and this is happening across Mayo and the rest of the country. Our local findings were backed by a recent national survey of 275 GPs. Less than one-third of the rural GPs who took part are taking on new patients.” 

The HSE is obliged to provide GP services to all Medical Card holders or applicants, and if you are turned down by three GPs, the HSE assigns you one. However, Ms Morris said this is leading to extra travel and other difficulties to access GP services which are becoming less 'local'.

“For people who don’t have a Medical Card, the situation is far more concerning. The HSE is not obliged to provide any support or alternative GP service to you in this case. We are being contacted on an increasing basis by people who don’t have Medical Cards and can’t get a local practice to take them.

“Recently, we assisted a person who moved back to Mayo after living away for several years and couldn’t get into the GP practices in their town or anywhere locally. After months of trying, they are relieved to finally have a GP, but now they must make an hour’s journey each way to access this ‘local’ service.”

She said these problems have been caused by "consistent government failure to invest in primary and community care".

“We have lived with years of growing waiting lists, ongoing trolley crisis, overcrowded emergency departments, cutbacks in respite and community care, few or no supports for children with additional health needs and now our GP service is in a growing crisis.”