Doctors call for increased support to help lonely patients

Q Radio News

Three quarters of doctors in Northern Ireland say up to 5 patients a day visit them-simply because they're lonely.

The Royal College of GPs says loneliness can be as bad for people as chronic long-term conditions.

It says a ten minute doctor's appointment isn't fit for purpose and wants more time to care.

Here's Chair of the Regional College, Dr. Grainne Doran.

Dr. Doran went on to say, “Tackling loneliness is about more than medical care. This is why we are launching our community action plan to help tackle the problem and ensure that GPs and their teams can provide the best possible care to lonely patients.

“We know it can be hard for people who are lonely to know where to turn for support. That’s why we want to see a dedicated professional for every GP surgery - a community navigator.

“We also want Councils to help people make the right connections by establishing a regularly updated database of community and voluntary sector projects and schemes in their area. This will support patients, community navigators and carers to ensure that people are matched to the best schemes for their needs.”

Evidence shows that it can be as bad for patients’ health as chronic long-term conditions.

Loneliness puts people at a 50% increased risk of an early death compared to those with good social connections, and it as bad for health outcomes as obesity.