A local action group is to meet HSE executives this afternoon, Wednesday, in a bid to address a GP crisis in Williamstown.
There are growing fears that up to a thousand patients in the Williamstown area will have no permanent GP from June 1st.
The GP who has been based at the Williamstown Health Centre for almost 14 years is leaving on May 31st for personal reasons, and a HSE recruitment process in place since March has yet to find a replacement doctor.
“The position to fill the GP vacancy has been advertised by the HSE but has yet to be filled, and from June 1st Williamstown could have no doctor,” said local Independent Councillor Declan Geraghty.
Pointing out that the GP practice was a large one, Cllr Geraghty said up to 1,000 patients in Williamstown and the surrounding areas attend the local medical centre.
He stressed that there were genuine fears in the community about having no permanent doctor in place from June.
“Local people depend so much on this service, those who need to get bloods or prescriptions. Some don’t have transport, and they are genuinely worried.
“There are a lot of people sick so where are they going to go to? All the other local doctors’ surgeries are full up,” he said.
The Independent councillor said the HSE was hoping to appoint a locum GP for Williamstown for the immediate future but added there was still no guarantee one would be secured.
“We are trying to get the message out there that there is a vacancy for a GP and maybe a doctor working in a city who grew up in rural Ireland might like to move to Williamstown or somewhere in the area to take up the position,” he said.
He added that the GP who was leaving “is a great man, a very caring doctor and people loved him”.
Williamstown Action Group are due to meet the HSE executives in Tuam today, Wednesday, at 4 p.m..
