Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand the Deputy's frustration. I have heard his concerns and I will convey them to the Minister. I have read out the best information that was made available to me this evening before I came to the Chamber. I wanted to take this matter because I know the Deputy wanted a Minister from the Department of Health to do so. I specifically stayed to do that.

SouthDoc has provided assurance that the Blackpool treatment centre has not closed and that it has no intention of withdrawing services from any SouthDoc treatment centre. It is saying its out-of-hours consultations are being provided on an appointment-only basis. Appointments are available following contact with the SouthDoc call centre - the reference was not to Blackpool but to the SouthDoc call centre - and triage services. Any person who requires out-of-hours GP care will be provided with that care at a suitable treatment centre. SouthDoc does not specify it will be provided at Blackpool. We are all dependent on out-of-hours GP services, regardless of where we live. I might be sent to Dungarvan or to Waterford city. Alternatively, SouthDoc is indicating, where the clinical condition of the patient so requires, care will be provided in his or her home. The Deputy has acknowledged that the SouthDoc doctor attends patients in their homes. There is a little bit of a contradiction there in what he is saying.

GPs do retire and are entitled to do so. The number of doctors entering GP training has increased by 80% between 2015 and 2023. There were 286 new entrants to GP training last year. A total of 350 new-entrant places have been provided for this year. Based on expected GP graduate and GP retirements numbers, the Department of Health estimates that between 2023 and 2027, between 1.5 and three GP graduates will on-board for every GP retirement.

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