Sherlock Welcomes Agreement on GP Care for All in Dublin 1 – Calls for Expansion
Sherlock Welcomes Agreement on GP Care for All in Dublin 1 – Calls for Expansion - The Labour Party
Speaking on the agreement that the Summerhill GP Care for All Practice will remain open, Deputy Sherlock said:
“I warmly welcome this brilliant news to keep Summerhill GP Care for All open. This agreement between the HSE, the Department of Health, and Summerhill GP Care for All secures the future of this exceptional service, and critically, the health services for the more than 2,600 patients who are patients of the practice.
“I am delighted that this agreement will also mean the expansion of the service and the opening of additional services in other areas. The demand for its services is huge, with this practice turning away 10-15 prospective patients every day, so I am glad to see the expansion of this practice.
“I highlighted to the Minister for Health in the Dáil on March 6th , while discussing Summerhill GP Care for All, that we have a private system of GP care in this country with significant gaps in some of the most economically deprived areas. The medical charity model is an innovative solution to this problem of providing increased healthcare to the most vulnerable people in our city and beyond.
“We need to see this model to expand across the country, particularly in those areas of additional need and economic disadvantage. The reality is this medical charity was set up in this area, simply because no GP would set up a practice there. This is a positive first step for expanding this model.
“This is a vindication of the stellar work conducted by Dr. Austin O’Carroll, General Manager Amanda Farrelly and board chair Kevin Kenny, and all the doctors in GP care for All who are providing a crucial service in one of the most economically deprived parts of my constituency in Dublin 1.
“This is an issue that arose in early 2024, and I am glad that after months of legal and financial wrangle, the HSE have provided a long-term solution to keep this practice open and to further expand these services.