One-third of GP trainees plan to work here, report finds

Only one-third of current GP trainees definitely plan to stay in Ireland after qualifying, according to a new report.

One in seven say they will definitely emigrate, with financial prospects cited as the main reason for leaving, the report by the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) found.

The proportion of trainees planning to stay here to work has increased slightly since 2014, a finding which will be welcomed by a health service currently struggling to recruit and retain qualified staff.

However, less than half of those surveyed saw themselves working full-time five years after training and this figure fell to 40 per cent when people were asked about the situation 10 years on.

A parallel survey of GPs who qualified since 2010 found 16.5 per cent are currently working overseas. Of this group, one-quarter plan to return home, compared with 17 per cent in 2014.

Of those still in Ireland, one-quarter will definitely or possibly emigrate in the near future, mostly because of financial reasons and doubts about the viability of general practice.

"There is still a GP workforce planning concern with a worryingly low percentage of current trainees and recent graduates definitely committed to working in Ireland, and a large proportion of both trainees and recent graduates having a desire to work more flexibly and less than full-time in the future," said Dr Claire Collins, ICGP director of research.

The vast majority of those participating in both surveys supported a greater role for GPs in the management of chronic diseases, provided this is appropriately resourced.