Claims Closure Of GP Services A "Death Knell" To Clare Towns And Villages

It is claimed the closure of GP services in Clare towns and villages is a "death knell" to those communities. Newmarket on Fergus Councillor Pat McMahon is calling on the HSE to provide local medical centres in strategic towns and villages throughout the county in order to tackle the ongoing GP staffing crisis. It comes after the Health Minister's decision last week to extend the eligibility of free GP care to over 500,000 people nationwide, which has raised concerns over availability of services. Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat McMahon has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons that opening medical centres in rural parts of the county is vital in order to attract GPs to those regions.