Deputy Michael Lowry TD further confirmed today that the Health Service Executive (HSE) has fully reinstated the Rural Practice Allowance Support Package, in their bid to fill a rural General Practioner (GP) post in Bansha, Co. Tipperary. This is despite the fact that the post was originally advertised without same, just last Autumn.
Locals had been extremely concerned that the village and its surrounding towns-lands would be left without an essential GP care service, once the present holder of that office had retired.
Fears for the community were fully realised in December when no applications, whatsoever, had been received after the position was advertised back last September (2015) without this annual allowance, which for rural GP’s can amount to €16,000, plus payments to cover the cost of a secretary and a nurse.
Local residents stated today that they were both “surprised, delighted and greatly relieved” that this post had been once again re-advertised to include this new offer of better GP conditions.
Lowry had strongly argued that GP practices in rural areas, like Bansha in Co.Tipperary, were not wholly viable without offering the previously acknowledged Rural Practice Allowance Support Package.
“We need to send a message to our present Government, that shutting down this type of service makes for absolutely no sense from a rural perspective”, stated Lowry.
Meanwhile the National Association of General Practitioners have set up a “No Doctor No Village” campaign, following on from the recent success of the public crusade begun in Bansha, Co. Tipperary.
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