Survey of recent GP graduates shows the vast majority (96%) are based in Ireland.
The patient-centred focus within general practice is a key attraction of the profession.
Hundreds of GPs attend ICGP’s Annual Conference “At the Heart of Healthcare” in Dublin today (Saturday 13th May).
(embargo 0700 hrs Sat 13th May 2023)
The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) is the professional body for general practice in Ireland. The ICGP is the representative organisation for education, training and standards in general practice with 4,200 members, and over 900 trainees in supervised practice.
The College’s survey of the career intentions of its recent graduates shows that the vast majority are working in Ireland, and plan to stay in Irish healthcare for their careers.
The survey was conducted in March 2023 amongst GPs who had graduated between 2017 and 2022. 269 graduates completed the survey – a response rate of 32%.
Graduates were asked about their future career intentions. At the time of the survey, 96% were working in Ireland. When asked about their future plans, 82% said they definitely plan to stay in Ireland, while only 2.9% said they definitely plan to emigrate.
When asked to select the three most important reasons for specialising in general practice, the most commonly selected option was ‘strong patient-centred care’. Almost all of those surveyed, 96% currently work in general practice, with 72% employed in multi-GP practices where 2 – 4 doctors are seeing patients at a time.
The top three priorities to address in the coming years were identified as
– improving use of Information Technology throughout the healthcare system – 77.8%
– leadership in workforce planning in general practice (77%)
– leading in the design of the role of general practitioners for the present and future. (73.7%)
The CEO of the ICGP, Fintan Foy, said: “This survey is a very positive endorsement of Irish general practice, and it shows that despite the workload pressures, the vast majority of recent GP graduates intend to make their careers in Ireland.”
“However, it is vital that the Strategic Review of General Practice will report quickly to help resolve the significant strains on workload and workforce amongst GPs.”
The outgoing President of the ICGP, Dr Paul Armstrong, warned that capacity is a fundamental issue for general practice, as the Government plans a big expansion in free GP care.
He said: The core aims of Sláintecare, free at point of care primary care services and transfer of work from hospitals to primary care, will guarantee increased workload and demands on GPs and affect quality of care elsewhere.”
The ICGP’s Annual Conference, is being held in Dublin’s Convention Centre on Saturday 13th May. The Conference Keynote Speaker in the morning is Prof Ciaran O’Boyle, RCSI on “Positive Leadership and self-care – what does the science tell us?” and in the afternoon, the Keynote is delivered by Ms Carol O’Kelly, on “The importance of personal connections and mental flexibility”.
During the day, there are a wide variety of clinical sessions on gout and osteoarthritis, PCOS, dermatology, chronic disease management, IT and cybersecurity, obesity and early detection of cancer.
The Quality Safety in Practice Awards (in association with MEDISEC) are presented to the winners in the afternoon and the day will conclude with the College’s Annual General Meeting at 4pm, chaired by Dr John Farrell.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE – please contact David Coleman, Bobbies Studios – Tel. 087 6787899.
MEDIA QUERIES: Aileen O’Meara, Communications Consultant, Irish College of General Practitioners. Tel. 087 2239830. Email: media@icgp.ie