A General Practice expert has warned that Ireland’s approach to the coronavirus is now “hopelessly obsolete.”

Dr Brendan O’Shea, Assistant Professor for General Practice at Trinity College, is calling for an overhaul of the National Public Health Emergency Team.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, he said the team has worked with “incredible focus and really a lot of success” in tackling the virus – but warned that now is the time to broaden the focus away from COVID-19 and towards wider public health issues.

“I think it would be a good thing maybe if three or four or five of the 40 people on NPHET were tasked to particularly look at the bigger public health implications,” he said.

“I think what we did four months ago is now hopelessly obsolete. I think the recent present we got from NPHET, which is the levels one to five, has really crystalised our thinking a little bit.

“But I think we are being seduced by the one-size-fits-all of ‘this is the solution to COVID’ approach.”

Public health

Dr O’Shea said his patients are experiencing a range of public health issues that unrelated to COVID-19.

“In our practice, we see what is going on with our several thousand people and families,” he said. “There are a lot of, arguably, public health issues.

“There are a lot of carers out there for example looking after people with significant dementia. They haven’t had respite care; physiotherapy and OT (Occupational Therapy) has been shut down – there is a public health cost to that.

“If you wander onto the Gay Men’s Health Service on the HSE website, that has been shut down. That means PeP and PrEP (HIV treatments) are not being delivered. It means screening for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C isn’t happening. That is all part of public health as well.”

NPHET

The Kildare GP said NPHET “made great strategic choices” back in March and April when the country did not know what it was facing.

“Tony Holohan and Leo Varadkar did a fantastic job – not a perfect job but a fantastic job – in the first surge,” he said. “It is different now so I think it is always good to examine what we are doing.

“It is a bit exhausting but we have got to keep on keeping two steps ahead so I think it is a good discussion to have. They are doing a great job but can it be done any better?”

Coronavirus

He said public health is “not an easy job” and noted that while the extra lockdown imposed on Kildare in August was “very upsetting” people got on with thigs and got the numbers down.

“We have got to mind everyone and do the best we can with it,” he said. “Focused forensic discussion; take all the personalities out of it. Celebrate the things we have done.

“There are a lot of fantastic people carrying heavy burdens. It is a bit heart-breaking but there is a need to look at the full public health brief – not just COVID.”

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