The people of Swanlinbar who are determined not to lose their full-time GP service say they have a solution to the problem "living among us". For three years now, Doctor Cristian has been running a full-time GP service for 1500 patients on a HSE locum contract, which, was renewed every three months. And, despite the short-term nature of his contract, however, Doctor Cristian has bought and renovated a house and is currently living in Swanlibar with his partner who also happens to be a doctor, and together they are rearing a family in the locality. The contract was not renewed in December.
Last week, the HSE told Swanlinbar Development Association, they have decided to run a "pilot initiative proposal" whereby a GP service will operate in Swanlinbar on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with patients having to use a practice in Ballyconnell on the remaining days of the week.
A public meeting was held in Swanlinbar yesterday and attended by around 250 local people who fear the pilot initiative could eventually lead to the loss of the local GP practice altogether. Serena Power from Swanlinbar Development Association said the area has already lost too many services. "That's our biggest concern: that we'll be left with no services. That it will eventually dwindle down so we're left with no GP services," Serena told the Joe Finnegan Show earlier, "and, as I said, unfortunately as beautiful as the area is, we've seen a massive loss in services in the last three years since I moved there 15 years ago, we've lost our bank, our post office, our garda station, our hardware shop, our drapers shop, our credit union is only open one day a week as well and it provides care we've been people meeting from Glangevlin, Corlough, Templemore, Bawnboy from far -reaching areas because it does cater for 1500 patients."
