Shortage of Laois GPs raised with Taoiseach

A GROWING shortage of GPs across Laois was raised in Dáil Éireann by local TD Willie Aird this week.

In a question to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Deputy Aird highlighted the pressure on primary care services in the county, pointing to significant population growth in recent years without a corresponding increase in GP capacity.

Speaking in the Dáil on 28 April, he said: “The population of Laois has risen sharply over the past decade but primary care services have not kept pace.” 

The Portlaoise TD praised what he described as the tremendous work being done by GPs, but cautioned that overall access to such professionals was shrinking, an issue especially acute in the Portlaoise area.

He said: “The reality is the HSE can assign a GP to a medical card and GP visit card holder, but there are no GPs in the Portlaoise area with capacity and private patients are being left without access to a full-time GP. This is not sustainable for a growing county like Laois.” 

Given that Laois is projected to see a significant explosion in population in the next few years, with the minimum quota of houses for the next seven years being an additional 5000, Deputy Aird demanded to know the Taoiseach’s plan.

In response, Mr Martin said over a billion euro a year is being spent on general practice and a strategic review of the sector is also currently underway. He stated that increasing the number of trained GPs would be key to addressing capacity issues in the years ahead.

Deputy Aird stressed that the response, while welcome, must now translate into tangible improvements on the ground in Laois.

He said: “The reality for many families in Laois is that they simply cannot access a GP when they need one. That is deeply concerning. We are a growing county, with significant housing development planned and healthcare provision must keep pace with that growth."