Clare’s Independent TD believes that lifting visa restrictions which prevent foreign-born locum GPs from working here is crucial, on account of the acute shortage of family doctors.
It’s after concern emerged about the future of the out-of-hours GP service in Miltown Malbay, when it didn’t operate over the weekend for the second time this month.
This led a local lobby group to say they understood it would be shut down permanently from next month, though ShannonDoc has poured cold water over that suggestion.
However, the group’s chair also highlighted visa issues facing locum doctors as one of the struggles for the health sector.
Dr Michael Harty, who’s chair of the Oireachtas health committee, says the rules need to be relaxed to address the nationwide staffing crisis in health:
You can hear more from Dr Harty on Morning Focus from 9am.
