Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their contributions. I acknowledge the fantastic work GPs do and the huge pressures and responsibilities under which they operate. I represent the rural constituency of Cork South-West where many GP positions are unfilled, presumably because we are so far from cities and the hospitals and other health care facilities located there. What can be done to make it more inviting for younger doctors, in particular, to apply for rural positions?

The Spotlight report on benchmarking the health care system observed that it is rare for GPs to work alongside other health professionals in an integrated way. Do the delegates agree that a close working relationship between doctors and ancillary service providers is vital for a more effective and progressive primary health care system?

My final question concerns a local issue that I have raised several times. Management at Bantry General Hospital has stated on numerous occasions that it has the capacity to oversee a larger number of procedures if it is granted the endoscopy and rehabilitation unit it has been requesting for years. If that request were granted, would it alleviate pressures on doctors in the locality?