Madam, - May I comment on some of the issues raised in recent correspondence by Drs Shane Corr and Ruairi Hanley? General practitioners enjoy and maintain an extremely high level of patient satisfaction - around 90 per cent (Insight 07 report).
Several factors account for this popularity, including a close, trusting and ongoing doctor-patient relationship. People are treated as individuals in the rich context of their families and wider community. GPs are independent contractors who can deliver a personal service directly to their patients.
GPs deliver the majority of health care to the entire population in a relatively inexpensive manner. Appropriately resourced, they have the potential to do even more in a community setting.
Even a superficial scrutiny of the age profile of the present cohort of GPs, the country's increasing population and the number of GPs per head of population compared with other EU countries reveals that the shortage of trained GPs will constitute a genuine crisis within the next five to 10 years.
The ICGP has been trying to persuade the Department of Health and Children and the HSE to fund the required increase in our capacity to train more general practitioners. While there has been some increase in the numbers going through higher professional training in general practice, current needs remain unmet. Manpower planning must surely merit some higher degree of priority.
General practice is an important and central arm of our health care system which is obviously valued by patients, but seems to be undervalued by policy-makers, administrators and commentators. The issue of maintaining and developing a modern GP service transcends party politics and constituency boundaries. Those in power and aspiring to power would do well to look on the Insight 97 Report as an opinion poll. - Yours, etc,
Dr MARK WALSH, Chairman, The Irish College of General Practitioners, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2.