Irish GPs Unveil Five-Point Plan to Transform Healthcare as Daily Consultations Hit 88,000

Irish GPs Unveil Five-Point Plan to Transform Healthcare as Daily Consultations Hit 88,000

The Irish College of GPs has published a comprehensive blueprint for reforming primary care in Ireland, warning that growing demand and an ageing population require urgent action to strengthen general practice.

The College, which represents over 85% of practising GPs in the Republic of Ireland, has released "Strengthening the Future of GP Care in Ireland", a document outlining five critical priorities for the future of healthcare delivery.

With 88,000 GP consultations taking place across Ireland every day, the 11-page document updates the College's 2022 "Shaping the Future" priorities and addresses the mounting pressures on primary care services.

Fintan Foy, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish College of GPs, said:

"This is a fresh analysis of the challenges facing general practice in Ireland, at a time of expansion and significant change in population, care delivery and the role of GPs. General practice is the cornerstone of Irish healthcare delivery. With these priorities, we have identified the supports that general practice needs to deliver integrated community care, digital health and develop its workforce."

The five priorities identified are:

• Connected Care: building shared electronic health records to ensure continuity, safety, and integrated care for every patient
• A Workforce for the Future: growing and supporting the GP workforce to meet rising demand
• Quality at the Core: embedding high-value audit, research, and quality improvement in daily general practice
• GP as a First Choice: making general practice an attractive, supported career path from medical school to retirement
• Smarter with Data: harnessing health data to highlight pressure points, guide resource planning and improve outcomes

Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, Medical Director of the Irish College of GPs, emphasised the scale of current service delivery:

"GPs are the first and ongoing point of care for millions of people across Ireland. Every day, over 88,000 GP consultations take place in general practice: each one carefully recorded within secure practice computer systems. These thousands of daily interactions form the backbone of healthcare delivery in Ireland, supporting continuity of care and safe clinical decision-making."

He acknowledged significant inequalities in access to GP services: "We acknowledge that access to GPs is not equal, with fewer GPs per head of population in rural Ireland and urban deprived areas. Our workforce is under intense and growing strain due to the high increase in demand. We need to expand and sustain the GP workforce, not only by increasing training places, but also by addressing retention, working conditions, and career flexibility."

The College currently has 4,500 members and associates, comprising over 85% of practising GPs in the Republic of Ireland, with an additional 1,130 GPs currently in training.

Dr Deirdre Collins, Chair of the Board, called for a comprehensive national strategy:

"The College is committed to playing a leadership role in national workforce planning and policy design, ensuring general practice remains a viable, valued, and vibrant career. We need a national strategy to attract, support, and retain future GPs. This should include increasing medical school exposure to general practice, and supporting diverse, flexible, and equitable career pathways."

The priorities document has been developed against the backdrop of the government's Sláintecare policy, which aims to shift care delivery from hospitals to community settings. The College is calling for urgent implementation of shared electronic health records for all patients as a cornerstone of integrated care.

The document also highlights the need for better utilisation of health data to identify system pressure points and improve resource allocation, while emphasising that general practice must evolve to meet the challenges of delivering increasingly complex care to a growing and ageing population.

The full version of "Strengthening the Future of GP Care in Ireland" is available through the Irish College of GPs.