Madam, - I am well past the arbitrary retirement age imposed by the Department of Health on doctors in the GMS scheme but I have been following with interest the discussion about Dr Patricia Comer's efforts to have some fairer and more realistic measure introduced (The Irish Times, June 19th).
The use of an arbitrary age as the sole indicator of competence is imprecise and unfair to both patients and doctors. It is convenient for the administrator, the insurance assessor and the computer, but it measures nothing except the time elapsed since the individual's birth. The situation is made even crazier by the fact that an over-70 doctor may act as a locum within the GMS as may a younger practitioner whose skill may be impaired by physical or mental disability. The illogicality of allowing elderly doctors to continue in private practice while declaring them unfit to care for GMS patients is just mind-boggling.
It is sometimes claimed that keeping GMS doctors on after the age of 70 would block the recruitment and promotion of younger colleagues and this is a valid point. Here I suggest a couple of positive measures which would go far to redress this and also avoid the possibility of elderly doctors practising long after their sell-by date.
Firstly, the doctor's GMS list should be frozen at the age of 65 and no new patients taken on. The doctor could continue to treat existing patients indefinitely, subject to a second new provision: that he or she should have a fitness-to-practice check every three years thereafter. This test of mental and physical fitness, including up-to-date clinical awareness, should be carried out by either the Irish or the Royal College of General Practitioners.
In 1950 the International Gerontological Association, of which I had the honour to be a foundation member, adopted as its motto: "Not just years to the life but life to the years". Dr Comer and other colleagues near or over the imposed age line exemplify the latter part of this. I wish her and them many years of activity and happiness either within or outside the GMS. - Yours, etc,
JOHN FLEETWOOD Snr, Proby Square, Blackrock, Co Dublin.