ICGP Expresses Dismay At Failure To Fund Increase In General Practice Training Places In 2008, Ireland
This is in direct contrast to Government policy as outlined in recommendation 47 of the Buttimer report (2006) "the HSE should implement the policy previously adopted by the Department of Health and Children to increase the annual intake of GP Trainees from the current 88 to 150 by 2008."
It would also appear to be contrary to HSE plans as its website states that "the number of GP training places is set to expand from 84 to 150 over a three year period. In order to facilitate this and other developments a joint ICGP-HSE steering group was established."
This steering group has met on several occasions and established a productive working relationship. Over the past year, the steering group has drawn up plans to further increase training places in established schemes and to create a new scheme in the North Dublin Inner City area, commencing in July 2008, and totalling 12 additional places in all. In addition, due to capacity issues in the existing schemes and the significant number of doctors who have completed relevant hospital posts, a pilot training structure based entirely in general practice was proposed. The traditional option of completing a one year GP registrar programme in the UK will cease from August 2008 further exacerbating the situation.
The fact that funding was provided to expand GP training places was outlined by the Dept of Health and Children at the Joint Committee for Health and Children in May 2006.
"Funding has been provided for GP training over the past two years and there is additional funding to increase, on a phased basis, the number of GP training places from 84 to 150. ... The aim in respect of service development… is to provide for the vast majority of people's care needs through primary care. This obviously involves an additional requirement for GPs and we will therefore be considering, in a structured way, how to draw all these issues together and plan for the filling of the necessary training places."
A patient focused health service needs a strong primary care sector to provide holistic care and promote appropriate use of services and resources. A reportproduced by the skills and labour market research unit within FAS in 2005 refers to OECD figures that indicate the ratio of GPs employed per thousand of the population in Ireland is the second lowest in the EU. The EU average is approximately one GP per thousand of the population. The Irish ratio is less than half the EU average at 0.47 per thousand. Even at an annual intake of 150 GP trainees (which is the target for 2008) there will still be a shortfall in GPs over the next 10 years. If the demand is calculated on population growth alone 2,868 GPs will be needed by 2015 - a projected shortfall of 224. This number rises to 3,643 if the demand grows in line with past growth of medical practitioners overall with a subsequent projected shortfall of up to 551. The FAS report concluded that all indicators imply that the demand for GPs will rise faster than population growth due to the development of primary care centres, the ageing population, an ageing cohort of GPs and a move towards working less hours. The need to train more GPs and the need for a GP manpower strategy is clearly illustrated by this data.
Therefore with all this evidence and both Government and HSE agreeing that GP training places need to be expanded why is funding not being provided? The young doctors willing and able to train as GPs deserve an answer to this question. Their GP colleagues who are currently experiencing difficulties recruiting new doctors for their practices need answers. When the Irish public encounter a shortage of GPs it will be too late...
The ICGP calls on the DoHC and the HSE to reconsider their refusal to fund increased GP training places as a matter of urgency.
The Irish College of General Practitioners
ICGP îºi exprimã mâhnire La Imposibilitatea de a Fondului de creºtere în practica generala de Formare Locuri În 2008, Irlanda - ICGP Expresses Dismay At Failure To Fund Increase In General Practice Training Places In 2008, Ireland - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate