South Tipperary GPs who haven’t signed up for free GP care for under 6s will not abandon those who would be covered by the scheme.
Speaking to Tipperary Mid West Radio, Dr David Janes said that while he could not speak for all doctors, he was of the understanding that GPs opting out of the scheme would likely forgo the cost for under-6s or pass it on to the health service.
He said that his concerns about the scheme lie in the areas of confidentiality, the impact the additional workload would have on patients, and the possibility that it could hamper GPs in putting their patients’ needs above all else.
His sentiments were echoed at a public meeting in Clonmel. At that meeting another South Tipp doctor, Martin Rouse spoke of how he believes one of the consequence of the scheme would be same-day GP access ‘becoming the exception rather than the norm’.
He added that while doctors would continue to try to provide a safe and quality service to all their patients, there will, he warned, be the inevitable knock-on effect of increased demand resulting in shorter consultation times and the fragmentation of care.
The doctors again called on Minister Leo Varadkar to meet with them to address their concerns about the delivery of the scheme.
