GP Retention Project
The focus of the HDRM project has been on the retention of hospital doctors in Ireland. In the GP Retention Project, we want to consider the working lives of doctors who work outside hospital settings and to focus specifically on a group of doctors who are often the first port of call for patients seeking care – GPs. In 2024 we plan to undertake a remote ethnography of GPs in Ireland. In 2025 we plan to undertake a similar remote ethnography with Irish-trained GPs abroad.
Ireland is experiencing a GP crisis, meaning that Ireland does not have enough GPs to meet the demand for care, which is causing people to have difficulty easily accessing GP care or finding a GP in their area, and putting GPs under increasing pressure. The aim of this research is to gain insights into the everyday working experiences of GPs in Ireland, and Irish GPs abroad, in order to understand the reasons behind Ireland’s GP crisis.
With your help, this study will enable us to generate insights into the working lives of GPs in Ireland in 2025. We also want to talk to Irish trained GPs who have emigrated to find out why they left and what might encourage their return. We will disseminate the research findings widely via presentations, journal articles and meetings with policy makers, we will use the information generated by the GP Retention Project to inform policy change.
GPs in Ireland
We would like to recruit 10 more GPs in Ireland to participate in our study. To take part, you must be a GP currently working in the Irish health system. We are particularly interested in GPs who are internationally trained, GPs in rural and remote areas and GPs working in disadvantaged areas. The research seeks to explore GPs’ day-to-day experiences of work using remote/digital tools, i.e. using Zoom for an online interviews to discuss the issues facing GPs and Threema (an instant messaging app similar to WhatsApp) to interact with you over a 6 week period about your everyday experiences of working as a GP.
Irish GPs abroad
We recently published a paper about GP emigration and are aware that there are Irish GPs working abroad and we would also like to interview about 10 Irish GPs abroad about their decision to leave Ireland and the factors that might influence their return. To take part you must be a Irish or non-Irish GP who has previously worked as a doctor in Ireland, although you may have trained as a GP in Ireland or abroad.
Fore more information on the project, or to take part, email hollyhanlon@rcsi.ie or click the link below