East Clare has the lowest number of General Practitioners per head of population in the country.
A new report from the Department of Health shows Clare could need as many as 41 additional GPs just to meet future demand.
Entitled ‘Supply and Demand of General Practice in Ireland’ the report shows that the East Clare region has just 0.35 GPs for every 1,000 people living in the area, which is 63% below the national average.
The findings also show that General Practioners in the east of the county are likely deferring retirement as no replacements are available, with the average contract in the region lasting over year 23 years, with 14 years being the national average.
East Clare doctors also recorded the highest number of daily consultations in the country with 49 against an average of 29.
West Clare meanwhile has an average contract age of 13 years and 4 months, indicating that younger GPs are preferring to establish practice towards the west of the county.
The highest proportion of GPs at risk of retirement with no viable replacement meanwhile were found in East Clare, East Mayo, Inishowen, and around Wexford and Westmeath
According to the report, based on a practice carrying out 25 consultations a day, Clare could need as many as 41 new doctors coming on stream by 2030 to meet future population demand, with a further 1,000 needed nationwide.
At present, there are 83 GPs operating here, one for every 1,535 people in the county.
