1300 doctors have applied to train as GP’s this year but Blackpool based Dr John Sheehan says the HSE need to make it more attractive to set up a practice outside of the city.
There are currently 2000 fewer GP's than the country needs
Dr Sheehan says rural areas such as Kanturk, Newmarket and Millstreet don’t have enough medical practices, which has a knock on effect on out-of-hours services and GP’s in surrounding areas.
Speaking to RedFM News, Dr John Sheehan of Blackpool Bridge Surgery says the HSE needs to help newly qualified GP’s set up practices:
"Rural areas are really struggling in terms of accessing GP services, and the HSE really need to look at how they provide the services, by putting supports in such as infrastructure with primary care centres such as staffing primary care centres so that they can attract newly qualified applicants to these areas, and give them the support that they may need in terms of secretarial, premises, things like that, so it's not a money issue, it's an infrastructure issue"
