Dr. John Delap:

The difficulty is that the model we would promote does not apply in west County Clare. The primary care centre with a primary care team operating within it is the model that works well in deprived urban areas. The teams that work well tend to be in areas where there are primary care centres and two or three practices. Organising a primary care team with disparate practices spread across a large area is more difficult.

We do not have the same difficulty in recruiting GPs to our practices because we are relatively well resourced and well organised and people are keen to work with us. However, I do not have an answer as regards the person who works single-handedly from his or her own premises in a rural area. I do not know how that circle can be squared.