Nearly 6,000 asked HSE for help finding a GP this year

Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) has received nearly 6,000 requests for assistance in finding a General Practitioner (GP) so far this year, highlighting a growing strain on primary care services. New figures reveal that while Ireland's population increased by approximately 10% between 2020 and 2025, the total number of GPs grew by only 6.4%. This disparity means population growth is significantly outpacing the increase in available doctors, leading to a deficit in patient care. Sinn Féin's Health Spokesperson, David Cullinane, criticized the government, stating the figures "tell a story of a Government that has allowed GP services to fall further and further behind the needs of a growing population." He pointed out that the number of GPs treating patients with medical cards has risen by a mere 2.3% in the same period, while GPs entering private practice have increased by 26.8%. Cullinane described the number of people seeking help from the HSE as an "extraordinary figure which should ring alarm bells throughout Government." He specifically noted the situation in Waterford, where the county's population has grown significantly, yet it has gained only three additional GPs since 2020. Worryingly, the number of GPs contracted under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme in Waterford has actually fallen, making publicly funded general practice even more difficult to access. Overall, the total number of GPs in Ireland increased by 193, from 3,034 to 3,227, between 2020 and the end of 2025. While 2,593 doctors provided services under the GMS scheme last year, the number of non-GMS GPs rose from 500 to 634. The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, maintains that work is ongoing to increase the GP workforce, with a strategic review of general practice expected to yield recommendations for a more sustainable system later this year.

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The figures tell us how the growth in general practice has been concentrated outside the public system, while the number of publicly contracted GPs has barely moved.