Medicines play a crucial role in our health. They help treat acute and chronic conditions and can also prevent illness. They sometimes save lives. However, there is a growing body of evidence that perhaps doctors are prescribing a little too frequently; the aptly...

Despite what Donald Trump may say, climate change is really happening. Most of us have seen pictures of polar bears stranded on melting icebergs. Dramatic wildfires in Australia and California in the past year have stopped not just Kangaroos in their tracks. Newspaper...

Planetary Health starts at a micro level…in the practice itself. General Practitioners, unlike their hospital colleagues, have significant control over their working environment and input into the physical infrastructure of their practice. Best practice is what we...

My name is Derek Casey and I’m a 36 year old GP Principal at Cappoquin Health Centre in County Waterford. I graduated from the South East Training Scheme in July 2020. I decided around half way through final year on the Scheme that I wanted to work for myself and take...

To a stranger, she was a small frail elderly woman sitting on a chair in a nursing home. To me, she was a woman I had known for many years – fiercely independent, living life to the full and a very infrequent attender at the surgery. She was a member of the “I didn’t...

PPE is essential in our fight against the virus protecting both patient and doctor but it also erects a physical barrier between us. We are trained to be patient centred practitioners, maintaining an open mind and being aware of our body language – striving not to create virtual or physical barriers between us.

“This is awful” she said looking at me with sad eyes. “Yes, it is” I replied. “I mean its awful for both of us – you and me” she said. “Yes, for both of us” I replied. I have had this conversation on more than one occasion since the advent of COVID-19 and the need for...