Newly qualified GPs are leaving the country due to the cost of setting up a general practice and difficulties operating in rural Ireland, according to a new report.

Up to 30% of Irish-trained GPs emigrate to countries such as the UK and Australia every year at a cost of 30 thousand euro to the taxpayer per student per year - according to a report in the Irish Mail on Sunday.

Chair of the IMO GP Committee, Dr Tadhg Crowley, has said setting up a practice in rural areas is particularly difficult.

“First of all, it is very expensive to set up a general practice currently,” he said.

“The legal requirements around setting up a healthcare centre are quite difficult.

“There’s very little in place to help new and establishing GPs, and I think that is something worth looking at.

“[Being a] single-handed GP is a difficult place to be currently – particularly in rural areas, you’re isolated.

“So, I think that’s something we need to look at in terms of saying, ‘Right, how can we help rural and single-handed GPs to set up and practice?’”

According to the Irish College of GPs, there are currently 4,370 GPs working in practices across Ireland.

However, this new study found that there are 1,077 Irish-trained doctors registered as GPs across the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Main image: A woman patient receives bad news from a doctor. Image: Tero Vesalainen / Alamy Stock Photo