Enfield man forced to travel 90km to access GP due to chronic shortage of doctors in area

AN ANGRY Enfield man with a serious genetic condition says he is being forced to make a 90km round trip journey to access GP care due to a chronic shortage of doctors in the area.

Eugene Tyson was diagnosed with the life long condition a number of years ago resulting in him requiring blood tests, scans and accessing prescriptions on a regular basis but has been turned away from every GP practice he has approached since moving to Enfield two years ago citing a shortage of staff as the reason to why they cannot take on new patients.

Instead, Eugene has to travel 45km to and from Citywest to visit a GP he had been attending whilst working and living in Dublin.

“As I was previously with Citywest Medical Centre in Citywest Shopping Centre, I have to continually go to this GP which is 44.5km away - a 90km approx. round trip," he said.

“Nobody will take me on as a new patient in Enfield, I need to see the GP regularly. If I don’t get this medication, I could potentially have a stroke or a heart attack and I’m only in my 40s.

“I cannot keep going back and forth to Citywest and especially during these pandemic times, I don't know what effect COVID would have on my system and I am in grave fear.”

The Enfield man says he has been turned away from all of the practices in the area due to staff shortages as he explains:

“I've contacted, Kilcock, Summerhill  Johnstownbridge and all GPs are refusing to take me as a patient and have my medical records transferred to their practice, stating a lack of staff!

“All the GP services I have contacted all stated that they do not have the staff - there is only one doctor per area and not enough nurses"