‘I have contacted all the GP practices, they are not taking on any new patients’
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 (48) was diagnosed with the lifelong 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 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 previously.
The struggle has become more evident over the last year as Eugene has been working from home and has to make the long journeys specially to visit the only GP he can access.
Speaking on the stress it is causing him he said:
“I have a genetic condition that means I need to have blood tests every three months and need to have a prescription for my medication.
“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.
“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’ve always had the condition, but I only got diagnosed with it in my 30s, one doctor spotted it one day doing blood tests and now I’m on medication for the rest of my life. If they hadn’t spotted it, I could have potentially had a stroke and died.
“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 have contacted all the GP practices - Kilcock which is designated as the overflow, as per a leaflet received recently, and they are refusing to take on new patients.
“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.
“This is absolutely insane, one receptionist claimed that Edenderry has ten doctors in one practice and they just have one!”
The lack of services in Enfield will have a huge impact on an ever growing community according to Eugene.
“The medical centre in Citywest refused to give me any more medication until I go and have a blood test probably to check if I’m taking the right dosage but at the same time I feel like I’m held at ransom to go up there and see them. All I want to do is stay alive!
“There are over 3,500 houses in Enfield at the moment and that is going to increase as there are plans for another 500 houses with no one having access to a GP locally.
“I think anyone who lives locally should be able to access their own GP, what if I was sick, if I had the flu what am I supposed to do get into the car and drive for 50km to a doctor when you are not feeling well, it doesn’t make sense.”
The HSE has been contacted for comment