Its been claimed that applicants are left without an assigned GP while on waiting lists, causing considerable inconvenience and potentially impacting their health.
A local TD has called on the Taoiseach to clarify whether it is standard practice for General Practitioners (GPs) to issue three refusals before a patient can ask the HSE to intervene.
Patricia Ryan TD told Kfm that GP's not issuing an "outright refusal" is causing significant issues for local medical card holders who are left on waiting lists.
She said patients are required to accumulate three refusals before they can seek intervention from the Health Service Executive (HSE) for GP assignment, a process she described as needlessly cumbersome.
She argued that applicants are left without an assigned GP while on waiting lists, causing considerable inconvenience and potentially impacting their health.
She explained how a more efficient system, where GPs issue outright refusals instead of the mandated three, would enable medical card holders to explore alternative options without unnecessary delays.
She also questioned the legislative measures that Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, could take to alleviate the situation.
She claimed that despite raising numerous parliamentary questions, Minister Donnelly has repeatedly referred these questions to the HSE, describing the matters as "operational".
This has led to mounting frustration, as she believes the Minister should be more directly involved in resolving the issue.
"I don't care whose remit it is. I just need to have this resolved," Deputy Ryan said.
She underscored the inefficiency of the current system, which leaves many, especially the elderly, without a GP.
"When a GP does not have a place, they should outright say so rather than putting people on a waiting list. This way, after three refusals, the HSE can allocate a GP to them," she said.
She also urged a reevaluation of the GP-to-patient ratio, suggesting that the current allocation is insufficient to meet demand.
She said the issue has become a significant concern, with numerous constituents in Kildare struggling to find available GPs.
"I am extremely frustrated that any questions I send to Minister Stephen Donnelly around health are referred to the HSE."
She argued that as the Minister, Donnelly should be "more informed and actively involved in finding solutions".
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