Minister for Health says HSE proposal is ‘absolutely the right thing to do’
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has endorsed plans by the HSE for patients who have been medically discharged to be moved to the first available nursing home bed even if it is in a location far from family and friends.
Speaking on both RTE radio’s Morning Ireland and Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Donnelly said it was “absolutely the right thing to do” to move a patient who had been medically discharged to a clinically appropriate nursing home.
“As you’ll be aware, we’ve been increasing the number of GP training places over the last number of years. We’ve actually gone from about 120 places back in 2009. Next year that would be at 350. So 287 this year, 350 next year. Last year we had less than a thousand medical graduates apply for the GP training places, which was still a large number until we’ve gone up now from about 1,300,” he said.“We’ve seen GPs becomes more and more central to community care over the last year.
“It’s really encouraging to see because we know we need a lot more GPs. Some parts in the country are doing fine, but other parts, particularly more rural areas, people are really struggling to get a GP. So that’s our focus to increase the number of GPs, an increasing number of training places, increase the supports we provide to GPs to do such a good job right around the country.‘I’m considering ending a five-year relationship, but living in a small town I’m worried I may end up single forever’Molly and Thomas Martens sentenced to up to 30 additional months in prison over Jason Corbett killing