The National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) holds their AGM today Friday, March 23rd and tomorrow Saturday March 24th in the Clayton Silver Springs Hotel in Cork.
There is increasing frustration amongst GPs and the sense of bewilderment is encouraging our young, highly trained GPs to emigrate and our experienced, well respected GPs to retire early. This is all exacerbating an already under resourced GP service, due to the Financial Emergency Measures in Public Interest (FEMPI) cuts imposed a number of years ago. It is expected that ever present issues to be widely discussed and debated over the weekend.
Limerick Dr Emmet Kerin, President of the NAGP said “since 2013 the NAGP has warned that General Practice is in crisis as a result of FEMPI. We are now seeing a broken health system nationwide where newpatients are unable to sign on to GP practices as they are beyond capacity. Here in Cork, Macroom is completely closed to new patients”.
A ballot was issued to members last week. The results speak for themselves. It was asked to members ‘Would you sign a new GP contract that has not been equally negotiated by the NAGP?’ Of
the 1152 responses, 84% of our members said No, they would not sign a new GP contract.
We know GPs are becoming increasingly vexed at the lack of action in terms of negotiating a new contract.
The aim of the NAGP AGM is to promote proven solutions that have worked in other jurisdictions. Keynote speakers Professor Paul Grundy and Dr Jack Cochran will address the many crises facing
GPs today and the additional crises in the wider health care system.
Its believed that the Slaintecare report has the recommendations required to tilt the healthcare service into an efficient, low cost,
high value, population health management model.
Its hoped through the auspices of Professor Grundy and our members who are early converters to a population health management model, that the tide can be changed and #savegeneralpractice.
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