‘Access to GP care is a postcode lottery’ — Meath experiencing worst doctor coverage in Ireland
Calls have intensified to address the “severe” shortage of GPs in Meath, after new HSE figures revealed that East Meath has just one GP for every 5,090 people — the highest ratio in the state.
Following analysis of the newly released data, Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O'Rourke, urged the Government to act “decisively” to tackle what he described as a deepening crisis in general practice.
“The HSE analysis lays bare what many in County Meath and across Ireland already know — access to GP care is a postcode lottery, and this Government has failed to tackle the crisis in general practice,” he said.
“The figures are a damning indictment of the Government’s neglect of primary care. This is not just a disparity — it is a stark inequality that threatens the health of our communities.”
“In Meath, the picture is very bleak. There is a severe shortage of GPs.”
According to the data, the ratio of population to GPs is 2,676:1 in south-west Meath; 2,518:1 in central Meath; 2,272:1 in north Meath; and 5,090:1 in east Meath.
“Communities feel the impact of this crisis directly. Many families struggle to register with a GP, face long waits for appointments, and see practices closing their lists,” Mr O’Rourke said.
"This geographic inequality is a direct result of the failure to train, recruit and retain enough GPs, and of the refusal to make working in under-served areas attractive and sustainable. The government’s piecemeal approach is not working.”
The Meath East TD has called on the Government to increase GP training places, provide stronger supports for establishing practices in high-need regions, and expand the roles of practice nurses and allied health professionals.
"The Government must now treat this report as a call to action. We need a targeted, funded plan to ensure every citizen, regardless of where they live, has access to timely GP care,” he added.