The National Association of General Practitioners has welcomed the recently launched MSD Ireland/ Ipsos MRBI survey which found that GPs were the most trusted healthcare professional. In the survey of 1000 people, 86% said they had confidence in their local GP. 53% said they were ‘very confident’ in their local GP.
NAGP CEO, Mr. Chris Goodey, said, “GPs are the heart of our communities and it’s very welcome to see this recognised by patients. Your local GP is often your first point of care when unwell so it’s crucial that patients have confidence and trust in them”.
The survey also found that 93% of respondents are willing to use community-based services rather than hospital-based, if appropriate.
Mr. Goodey commented, “GP-led Primary Care must be adequately resourced in order to meet the ever increasing needs of patients in a community setting. The majority of studies comparing services that could be delivered in either primary or specialist settings show that using primary care physicians reduces costs, and increases patient satisfaction, with no adverse effects on quality of care or patient outcomes. We know that €1 spent on Primary Care saves €5 elsewhere in the health system”.
