13/11/2025
Planning for the Future at Áth Trasna Medical Centre.
On the 19th of August 2025, we marked 36 years since our medical practice first opened its doors on Scarteen Street, Newmarket.
Over these years, it has been our privilege and honour to care for the people of the greater Duhallow area. Every day, our dedicated team comes to work with one shared purpose — to look after the health and wellbeing of our patients to the very best of our ability. Many of our staff have journeyed with us for decades, and we are deeply grateful for their continued commitment, compassion, and professionalism.
In recent years, our team has grown to better serve your needs. We were delighted to welcome Sheila to our administration team and Kiersten to our nursing staff. We also have two new doctors, Dr. Elena and Dr. Umair, who bring fresh energy and experience to the practice. Dr. Orna is currently on maternity leave and will rejoin us in March 2026. We look forward to her return.
As many of you may be aware, one of the greatest challenges facing all rural practices today is succession planning, ensuring that the next generation of GPs is ready to take up the mantle of care. Across Ireland, the GP workforce is ageing, and our area is no exception.
This has prompted us to reflect deeply on how best to secure the future of our practice so that we can continue to provide high-quality, accessible care, not only today, but for many years to come. General practice has become increasingly complex, and the demands on both clinical and administrative staff continue to grow. It is vital that we find ways to reduce administrative pressures so that more of our time can be devoted to what matters most: caring for our patients.
To support this goal, we are taking an important step forward. From November 2025, Áth Trasna Medical Centre will partner with Centric Healthcare, becoming the first practice in our region to do so. Centric is an established Irish healthcare organisation that currently supports over seventy-five GP practices nationwide. They provide practices like ours with robust administrative, IT, and human resources support, allowing our local team to focus more fully on patient care.
Importantly, this partnership will help ensure the long-term sustainability of our practice, supporting continuity of care for our patients while also helping to recruit future GPs and locum cover when needed. Our existing team will remain the same. Your familiar doctors, nurses, and administrative staff will continue to care for you as before, with added support to strengthen what we already do well.
Both Zelie and I have committed to continuing as Managing GP Partners for the next four years. During this time, we will focus on developing and modernising the practice, upgrading our computer systems, improving appointment access, and ensuring that our services evolve to meet the changing needs of our community.
We understand that change can bring uncertainty, but please be assured that every decision we make is guided by one goal: to protect and enhance the care we provide to you, our patients. We are confident that this partnership will allow us to build a stronger, more sustainable future for general practice in Newmarket, one that continues to deliver the compassionate, personal care you have always known and trusted.
With warm regards and gratitude for your ongoing support,
Dr. Bertie Daly & Dr. Zelie Gaffney Daly
Áth Trasna Medical Centre
