Three-quarters of GPs were not accepting new medical card patients, while just over two-thirds were not taking private patients in 2023, according to research conducted by the sector’s training body.
On Saturday, the Irish College of GPs held their annual conference in Cork city, discussing accessibility of services and meeting the needs of patients.
Dr Mike O’Callaghan, clinical research lead with the Irish College of GPs, said the research indicates capacity problems in the sector.
“My own practice, our list has been closed for two years. If you can’t look after patients safely then you shouldn’t look after them,” he said.
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“And it’s a very hard thing to tell a patient or their family that ‘sorry we’re just full. We can’t take on new patients’.”
According to the college, rural practices tend to be run by older doctors, who are men and are more likely to be solo practitioners.
Its research also found urban areas have 100 GPs per 100,000 population, while some rural areas only have 60 per 100,000.
Some 96 per cent of GPs keep appointments available so urgent cases can be seen on that day, while seven in 10 non-urgent or routine care appointments are seen within the week.
“It does vary a bit. In rural practices, people wait the least time. These are smaller practices and are often solo-run, so patients find it easier to get in there,” he added.
Prof Suzanne Crowe, president of the Irish Medical Council, presented data on the demographics of GPs, which showed one-third are aged 55 and older.
The medical council’s data also highlighted how more women are becoming general practitioners in recent years. In 2024 there were slightly more women working as GPs than men.
“You can see as we shift towards more women in general practice, you can see with population mapping that within the next five to 10 years general practice will be wholly dominated by women doctors,” she said.
“It means our system or training, and also practice, will have to change as well. We do know that women shoulder a large proportion of caring duties within the home.”
Former taoiseach and doctor Leo Varadkar also addressed the conference, during which he spoke about advancing technology and artificial intelligence (AI), which he said would bring positives and negatives.
Mr Varadkar had recently been in the US, where there were “exciting” trials on the use of AI in healthcare, he said.
“There was an AI-guided triage in the emergency department coming up with different decisions and different prioritisation of patients than a nurse or doctor would,” he said.
“It is probably likely that most physicians will have an avatar, so will be able to make a virtual version of you. And when a patient rings up, it’ll be virtual you. It’s like a telephone conversation but on a whole new level.”
