1. General Practice in
Ireland 2013- from the
perspective of training
and recently qualified GPs
by Dr Aifric Boylan
GP and member of the executive committee of the NAGP

2. Introduction
 My training
 Cost of training a GP ? Probably
substantially over 200,000 euro in total
 Importance of training and retaining GPs
as cornerstone of primary care provision


3. primary care represents best value for the
state and the taxpayer
 Requires well trained, properly distributed
workforce of GPs
 At present approximately 160 GPs
complete training schemes nationwide per
year
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5. Pre-existing Shortfalls
 Low number of GPs per capita, one of the lowest
in the OECD, with approximately two thirds the
numbers of GP per capita as compared with most
European countries in 2007.
 Research by the ESRI in 2008 “a profound and
worsening problem of distribution of GPs across
the country”.
 An ICGP Manpower study of just over 1000 GPs
in 2008 showed that 50% of respondents
expected to retire by 2020. Furthermore, 27% of
those doctors had closed their lists to new
patients as they were overloaded with work, and
that was before the economic collapse
88% of these GPs said levels of GPs insufficient
in their areas to meet demand, and 62% had
difficulty recruiting GPs to work for them

6. Approximately 47% of Irish trained
doctors do not work in Ireland, which is
higher than all countries in the OECD.
 Nearest country to us is Luxembourg at
17%
 UK only 6%


7. 
A survey in 2012 showed that 66% of
final medical students did not intend to
work in Irish hospitals once their intern
year was complete

12. 
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13% definitely will or already have emigrated
23% possibly emigrate
6% change of career
7% don’t know
Potential loss to system of up to 50%
?6.4million worth of trained GPs per year if
we take the most conservative figure of 20%
lost

14. 
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Major sources of stress
1: feeling undervalued by the state -69%
strongly agreed
2: feeling unfairly targeted by media- 59%
strongly agreed
3:Difficulties accessing hospital/tertiary care
for patients 51% strongly agreed
Followed by feeling overworked, feeling
underpaid, inadequate facilities, and negative
effect on social and family life
Only 15% reported stress from feeling they’d
made wrong career choice

15. So who are we losing?

17. 
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Summary
Investment in Primary Care and General Practice
clearly identified as a key factor in developing an
economical and effective health service
Retaining our high quality young GPs is a
fundamental necessity to instigate this
Our young doctors are stressed and disillusioned
Investment in general practice by the state was
the biggest factor that would change an
emigrating doctors mind, followed by clear career
path and pay.
The sense of being undervalued by the state and
unfairly targeted by the media were the biggest
stress on young GPs
Nevertheless most trainees and recently qualified
GPs still happy they made the career choice

18. 
We can conclude that our young doctors would be
more likely to stay if they felt supported and valued
by the state.
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In a time when money is short, we may have
difficulty offering financial incentive to them, but the
above study demonstrates that pay is not the most
important reason for disillusionment
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demonstrate to these young doctors, that they are
valued, and that solutions can be found through
genuine conversation.
 Barriers that have been created in the past such as
competition authority should not prevent this
 Taking an interest in recently qualified GPs, indeed all
GPs, investing in primary care will benefit the entire
system and thus the Irish people