Ireland is suffering from a severe shortage of GPs, and the situation is likely to get worse, the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) has warned.

The College says 18 GP posts are currently vacant, some for up to three years. 

However, initial results from a survey carried out by the ICGP show that Ireland is facing an even worse GP shortage, caused by a combination of the high number of doctors due to retire in the next decade and the fact that their posts may not be filled due to the large proportion of young doctors planning to emigrate.

The College says 18 GP posts are currently vacant, some for up to three years.

The results from its survey show that around one in five GPs are aged 60 or over, with almost one in three aged over 55.

In addition, 12.5% of trainees say they are planning to emigrate post-qualification and a further 25% are undecided. Most of these young doctors quote uncertainty about security in their professional roles as the main reason they are thinking of leaving the country.

Some regions are more affected than others by the GP manpower crisis.

For example, over a third of GPs in Carlow are aged over 60. In Clare, Cork, Laois, and Wexford at least 28% of GPs are aged over 60.

According to ICGP Medical Director Dr Margaret O'Riordan, the GP manpower crisis is most severe in rural areas.

"Unless corrective measures are introduced, the current trends in emigration and retirement will result in fewer GPs to treat patients in rural areas in the next ten years. Rural GPs have been hardest hit by austerity. The services patients enjoy in rural locations are not sustainable without restoration of some of the cuts (to GP fees) made under FEMPI, or restoration of the rural practice allowance, or both" she said.

Dr O'Riordan said the College's analysis indicated a high number of GPs coming close to retirement age, and that many established GPs are very disillusioned with the current situation regarding general practice in Ireland.

"The difficulty facing the HSE in attracting GPs is only likely to worsen unless these issues are addressed. In this scenario, patients throughout the country, and particularly patients in rural areas, will face increasing difficulty accessing a general practitioner in their local area in the years to come." 

The College has given the following examples of how the GP shortage has hit local communities:

* People in Feakle, Co. Clare, many of whom are elderly, now have to travel substantial distances to access a GP, in an area which has almost no public transport links.

* In Coolgreany, Co. Wexford, where there are 405 people registered with medical cards, the HSE has advertised for a GP four times and the post is about to be re-advertised. The duration of this vacancy is now 3.5 years.

In Moycullen, Co Galway, where there are 592 people registered with medical cards, there has been a long term 'temporary' GP in place for six years and seven months.

* The GP based in Gortnahoe, South Tipperary recently retired. Following advertising of the post on two occasions the HSE failed to fill the post and the retired GP has now resumed his former post as a locum at the request of HSE despite being past retirement age. This is obviously only a short term solution, the ICGP says.