'Significant' levels of emigration among Irish-trained doctors adding to GP shortage crisis

The migration of Irish-trained GPs is exacerbating a crisis shortage of family doctors in Ireland, a new study shows.

Up to 30% of newly trained GPs in Ireland emigrate to Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK annually.

The first study of its kind examines Irish-trained doctors working in general practice in the four main key destination countries for GP emigration.

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The researchers said: “Ireland is experiencing a general practitioner workforce crisis, facing an ageing workforce, a growing population with increased life expectancy, and increased complexity of patients.”

Their poll discovered how GP emigration is adding to the shortage of family doctors in Ireland. While the Irish College of GPs said there are 4,370 GPs working in Ireland, the study found “a significant stock of Irish-trained GPs abroad”.

There are 1,077 Irish-trained doctors registered as GPs in the United Kingdom and Australia and New Zealand.

The authors, which include Dr Holly Rose Hanlon, from the GP Retention project at the RCSI, found the outward migration of GPs trained in Ireland can appear “relatively small”.

GP emigration from Ireland to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada from 2012–2021 was counted by examining medical registration.

Between 2021 and 2022, they found 42 Irish trained or Irish citizen GPs emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK, in the same year, 144 GPs completed training in Ireland.

The team added: “This level of GP emigration relative to the level of GP training is significant as it indicates that 30% fewer GPs than expected entered the Irish healthcare system in that year.

“The net increase to the stock of GPs in Ireland based on the number of new trainees was 30% lower than expected as it was offset by the emigration of 42 GPs in the same period.”

In a pre-budget submission last year, the Irish College of GPs described the scale of the GP shortage crisis in Ireland.

With the population at 5.1 million, they pointed out there had not been a similar increase in the GP workforce to deal with increasing challenges.

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