Aspects of access to out‐patient clinics in the West of Ireland

A study of various aspects of access to outpatients clinics in rural Ireland is reported. A dispersed catchment area is served by the Regional Hospital, Galway; 50 per cent of respondents live 20 miles from the hospital; in 40 per cent the round trip will take more than six hours and in 50 per cent the cost of travel will be more than IR £5. Transport‐related problems are cited as the major cause for previously missed appointments, especially in subjects expected to attend four or more times per year. The highest rate of defaulting was found in those patients who had been attending outpatient clinics for several years with a long interval between appointments. Housewives with elderly or young dependants constitute an occupational group with difficulty in keeping appointments.