Will the rural gp go the way of the garda stations and post offices

This is the stark warning from Ballygar GP Martin Daly who says the vital service provided by doctors such as him could be a thing of the past in a few years’ time if action is not taken.
Speaking to The Tuam Herald following his outspoken comments on the A&E crisis and his concern that GPs are again being asked to step into the breach without being properly resourced, he compared rural practices to rural post offices. Both businesses are hybrid creatures, part private enterprise, part public service, integral to the viability of their communities. Often, it’s only after the post office has closed that people realise what has been lost — likewise with the network of GPs.
Martin Daly speaks with some authority. He is steeped in medicine. This former president of the IMO and former Health Board member runs his busy Ballygar practice alongside his wife Madeline, also a GP, as were both his parents, and he’s well known for his forthright views on the issue of health.

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