Sale of GP practices

Sir, – Should we be concerned about the steady march of privatisation in healthcare at its most crucial and vulnerable point – the local GP practice?

The proposed sale of Centric for a reported €350 million suggests there are massive profits involved. Are these profits being realised at the expense of the ordinary patient?

Setting aside management gobbledegook, can the reason be increased charges for patients and decreased time allocated to appointments?

One must also wonder why so many doctors are walking away from the management of their practices. It is in the GP practices where the rubber hits the road for the vast majority of health interventions in the State.

RM Block

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Should the Government be helping GPs run their own practice? Would a co-op that simply provides finance and admin functions reduce the burden on GPs?

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Has the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, or any of the health unions anything to say about these developments?

I look forward to a rigorous public debate on this most essential service.- Yours, etc,

PADRAIC MURRAY,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.