Doctors struggle to see patients; GP’s have also raised concerns about major challenges in accessing hospital services

As doctors struggle to see their patients, they have raised concerns about major difficulties in accessing hospital services.

GPs claim that hospital services are a major concern for public practice.

There is a shortage of space in hospitals due to the corona virus and the number of patients is thought to have increased. So they shared the difficulty of checking them out when more patients come.

The chairman of the GP Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), Dr. Denis McCauley, said the hospital is overcrowded and the availability of healthcare services is declining with more patients coming forward.

“They (patients) are presenting but the pinch points are developing further down the system,” he said.

Dr. McCauley commented that the provision of non-covid services in the hospital is a major problem and in practice one of the biggest workloads they currently face is treating cancer patients.  

Immediate treatment is essential for people with cancer. He said reports indicate that GPs are struggling to see patients in such a situation.

“I think hospital services really are a major concern to general practice, it’s taking up a lot of our time,” Dr. McCauley said.

There are currently 2,500 GPs nationwide, of which 1,000 are over 55 and 500 are over 65. He added that GP workers are getting older and that this condition would make them sicker.

“In the next four to five years 20% of the population is going to retire,” he said.

He stated that, if the current working hours and workload increase in the coming days, it will endanger us.