1000 GPs are due to retire in the next 2-3 years.

Every few weeks a GP retires leaving approximately 1000 public & 1000 private patients without access to a GP.

The HSE is having great difficulty attracting GPs to replace those retiring and often ultimately resort to sending out letters to patients suggesting they find a new GP themselves and include a list of GPs in their area. Oftentimes these suggested GP lists are full or contain names of GPs who are some of the 1000 due to retire!

The current GP contract is simply not viable for GPs its a 24/7/365 contract,

allowances for leave cover only a portion (25%) of the cost for locums. If a doctor is sick, takes a holiday or retires within a group practice they run at a loss to cover that gap.

The current GP contract is from the 70’s, despite what Government keep saying there is no ‘new’ contract for GPs.

What is on offer is unacceptable. This is demonstrated by the number of doctors leaving the country seeking employment with a work life balance where they can avail of simple benefits like maternity leave and holidays.

30% of GPs and 30% of Consultants are due to retire in the next 5 years.

There are almost 900,000 people on waiting lists in Ireland

700 or 1 in 5 consultant posts are vacant, the doctors that could be filling these positions are leaving the country in their masses. The contract on offer to them is not fit for purpose.

3,000 Doctors have left Ireland in the past 5 years to work abroad

The IHCI has reported that 90% of higher specialist trainees would currently consider leaving Ireland to work abroad.

Ireland produces more medical graduates than any other country in the EU - almost double the EU average (yet we cannot retain them)