Staff let go from GP practices

Some GPs have had to let staff go during the Covid-19 pandemic and it is an issue the IMO is raising with the Government, this newspaper has been told.

“The IMO have received several reports from members of having to reduce staff hours and/or let staff go,” a spokesperson told the Medical Independent on 10 June.

“The IMO agreed a package of measures with Government to help support general practice. This package of supports is due to expire on 16 June and the IMO are in discussions with Government in relation to same.

“Additionally, the IMO are in discussions with the HSE on chronic disease management with a view to examining possible changes to the programme.”

North Dublin GP and former IMO President Dr Ray Walley raised the issue of GPs having to let practice staff go during the Covid-19 crisis at the recent online Future Health Summit ‘Leadership Series’.

“There are many practices that have let staff go… General practitioners are not unaffected by the same things that affect other business,” Dr Walley told the conference. “We are small-medium enterprises. I have been lucky in my practice in the fact that we have kept all our staff, but we have not been able to take on other staff that we were about to take on. So all of those things need to be dealt with [by] the Government, the HSE, the Department, as well as our College and our union, which has already led the way.”