I take my hat off to the work our GPs do

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.

Michael Commane

According to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) a shortage of GPs in Ireland is posing a real risk to the health system in the State. With our population growing and people living longer there is naturally a greater demand on GP services.

There are approximately 3,500 GPs in the country and there is need for an extra 1,500 between now and 2028.

 

It’s easy to complain and I am extremely proficient in the art. But this week I want to stand up and sing the praises of the work GPs and their staff do.

 

I have had reason to attend a GP clinic in West Kerry over a number of occasions during the last few weeks. 

To my surprise I discovered the GP Visit Card may be used at a GP clinic other than that designated on the card. And that’s a fabulous facility. I presume the same applies for people with Medical Cards. Why does the same system not apply in the world of dentistry?

On the four or five times I attended the GP I never had to wait more than five or 10 minutes to be seen. It was always easy to make an appointment.

 

Any time I phoned I was never asked to press one for this, two for that and three to give my PPS number and date of birth.

The two GPs could not have been nicer and kinder. There was a third doctor in the practice, who is a trainee GP and he too was friendly and pleasant.

 

I had an ultra sound in a hospital on a Wednesday. That afternoon the GP phoned me with the result.

I was struck by every aspect of their behaviour but what probably shone out  most for me was their genuine care. In my short time in the waiting room I saw how each person was treated with respect. It was very noticeable.

It was exactly a similar experience with the receptionists and nurse.

Honestly, I was bowled over by it all.

On my last visit, the doctor suggested she print out the results so that I could give them to my own GP. I called down the next day for the receptionist to give me the envelope containing the printout of the lab results. And she did it with a smile.

The GP service I’ve received over the years is second to none. The system has changed over time but the basic idea of the family doctor being near at hand is a fabulous service. They are the first port of call when we fall ill. It’s important that we realise how fortunate we are to have such a system in place. We need to cherish it. Of course there can be problems with it, there are people who have had bad experiences with their GPs. GPs, like every other group in society, are not perfect. Who is?

I didn’t leave them in a Christmas box. Maybe I should have. I can still do it.

Happy new year to all readers of this column and I hope 2024 will be a kind and pleasant year for all of us. In China it’s the year of the Dragon.