A Kildysart businessman hopes the appointment of a new GP in the village will encourage other struggling communities to fight for better services.
Dr Marie Quigney will take up a new post there on February 1st following a nine month campaign by the local community.
It comes as negotiations on a new package of measures aimed at improving conditions for GPs is due to get underway on Wednesday.
There's a sense of relief in the village of Kildysart today following the announcement of a new GP for the area.
Dr Marie Quigney, who is currently a member of the medical team at the Saffron and Blue Medical Clinic will take up a new post in the West Clare village on February 1st.
The community has been served by a part-time locum doctor since the passing of it's resident GP nine months ago and have since been vigorously campaigning to have a full-time service restored.
Local businessman Michael Michaels hopes Kildysart's success will encourage other communities to fight for better services.
Meanwhile, negotiations on a new package of measures aimed at improving conditions for GPs in rural areas will get underway on Wednesday.
Under proposals by the Minister for Health, 100 additional doctors would qualify for a 16,000 euro rural practise allowance, with cirteria easing to cover doctors based over three miles from a town of 2000 people or more.
The allowance would now be given to the area, rather than the GP, allowing communities to hold onto the payment after their doctor retires.
Calls have been made in Clare for the rural practise allowance and distance coding to be re-instated and Fine Gael TD Pat Breen is confident that outstanding issues will be dealt with once negotiations get underway.
