*Brendan Ryan told the meeting buildings owned by the parish should be considered. Photograph: Joe Buckley
PREMISES TO HAVE a GP service in the village of Newmarket-on-Fergus are being examined but the community should not be made go “cap in hand” to the HSE.
Monday’s public meeting held in the Community Hall heard that the Community Forum has since March been engaging with political representatives on the risk posed to the future of a GP service in the parish.
Chairperson of the Newmarket-on-Fergus Community Forum, Paddy Enright asked the meeting, “if a doctor is set up in the village, can we guarantee the numbers to have a viable practice”.
Addressing the meeting, Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) said there was three options on the table for the future of a GP service in the parish. They included the GP operating out of a chalet in Carrigoran, sourcing a premises in the village or the surgery leaving Carrigoran and going to Saffron and Blue Medical Centre’s main offices in Clarecastle.
Deputy Crowe said the decision to move the service to Clarecastle was “a commercial decision and it doesn’t do much for Newmarket-on-Fergus. It is damn all good having a service in Clarecastle, the bus service is intermittent and it is neon impossible if you are elderly and not driving to get there”. The Meelick native said the village should aspire to have a primary care centre.
Keeping the GP within the village was identified by Deputy Crowe as his preference. The former Spar supermarket which has been closed for over five years was one potential location. “The owner has been approached, there is a lot of goodwill and a deal can be done, the offer has gone into HSE and will be explored by the HSE’s estates management team. The offer is being considered”. This would involve the HSE taking on the building and leasing it.
Former manager of Obair, Pat Cronin was fearful of the future of the village. “Our village is dying and dying on its feet, we will lose a doctor but a lot of businesses. We’ve one shop in the village which is a disgrace”. He said there was enough people present at the meeting to buy the vacant premises. “I’m hearing a lot of rubbish, the village is dying,” he concluded.
Sourcing a premises is the first option of the Community Forum, “if not we’ll be back to the people looking to make a contribution,” Enright advised.
Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND) quipped that a doctor can see patients in a caravan referencing the mode of transport used by Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) for clinic meetings. “I don’t think it’s reasonable in 2023 to expect a community to kit out a medical facility,” he said while committing to raise the matter with HSE CEO, Bernard Gloster, “I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect a community to provide a health centre”.
Senator Dooley told the meeting, “you don’t need to go cap in hand to the HSE, with the size of this village you don’t need to be quoting stats, neither as Pat Cronin who has done so much for this parish said I don’t think you should have to go and collect, it should be there by right”. He was adamant the community was entitled to a doctor. “You’re not a small village, it is not getting smaller it is growing, you’re in the heart of the corridor between Ennis, Shannon, Galway and Limerick. One option that is not on the table is no doctor being in NOF”. Using the former Spar premises “is a great idea if it works but it will be expensive,” he warned.
Both the Community Hall and Obair building already belong to the parish, Brendan Ryan a former member of the Hall Committee told the meeting, “this building belongs to the people of this parish”. The Chairman questioned in response if it was appropriate to have a private healthcare facility in a community hall, “there is a concern around the privacy and where the doctor needs to operate”. Ryan replied, “this building belongs to the parish. A doctor is very badly needed in this parish, we had two doctors in this parish before. Spar is another private enterprise, are we going from frying pan into the fire”.
Having listened to the contributions, Esther Murphy remarked, “it sounded as if there was only three options”. She suggested compiling a list of suitable buildings and presenting it to the HSE to find the best practice.
Tom Neylon of the Community Forum told the meeting, “the Eurospar premises is not the only one available, whichever premises is best we will look to get”. Wheelchair access and parking are among the aspects the Forum are considering when looking at potential locations.
