Dr. Peter Kelly:

Even in terms of methadone pick-ups and the frequency of clinic visits, I know Professor Comiskey mentioned that in certain clinics people will see nurses first. I did research which went further around the country and approximately 80% of people said the person they saw the most often when they went into a clinic was a medical practitioner. Medical practitioners, the most expensive and probably in some cases the best-trained person in the building, have to see every single person coming through the door. That model is really outdated and not fit for practice. Most doctors and nurses are brilliant, but the training they get to prescribe is one day. It is three months for a level 2. The training is not sufficient in this regard. We spoke about this earlier on. The GP training has massive implications for the experience people have when they come into clinics.