February Award-winning professor says research has been central to expansion of GP role in primary care

University of Galway medic receives €50,000 Health Research Board award for further research

Andrew Murphy, a Professor of General Practice at University Galway, has been awarded the Health Research Board Impact Award for 2025.

Professor Murphy, who specialises in primary care research and is a practising GP in Turloughmore, Co Galway, received the award for his exceptional influence on policy and practice in the Irish healthcare system.

Dr Mairéad O Driscoll, chief executive at the Health Research Board, said: “Professor Murphy has had an incredible impact on chronic disease management in primary care and he has been influential in significant innovations in GP practice that have been implemented nationwide. The international standing of Andrew’s work, is evidenced by his role in government advisory groups in Germany and Norway in addition to the national recognition of his work and positions of policy influence at home.”

Professor Murphy said: “GP-led primary care has led to significant improvement in effectiveness of treatment, patient convenience and cost. HRB funded research across many disciplines has been really important in providing the evidence to support these proposed innovation. The driver of all my research is that general practice has the potential to deliver high-quality care, both chronic and acute, which significantly improves patients’ lives and is highly cost effective.  

“When I qualified as a GP in 1992, the care was reactive. But thanks in part to research funding from the HRB over the years, outcomes for patients have improved hugely because of the development of GP-led primary care. Research funding helps provide the data and evidence needed for service development and opens the door to multi-disciplinary collaborations which are crucial to creating robust recommendations.”

University of Galway’s Professor Molly Byrne, who nominated Professor Murphy for this year’s award, said: “I believe this award is extremely well-deserved as it acknowledges Andrew’s substantial impact in building a collegial and supportive research community. Over the last 25 years, Andrew has enabled, supported and empowered many researchers to conduct research which really impacts on delivery of health services in practice and addresses the most pressing needs of patients in primary care.”

Professor Murphy has led a programme of research seeking to improve prevention of secondary heart disease in primary care since 2000 and he has been influential in significant innovations in GP practice that have been implemented nationwide.

A HRB research award in 2002 supported Professor Murphy’s seminal all-island research on cardiac disease prevention in general practice. The then largest general practice trial, it is the first general practice paper ever to receive the prestigious Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland Award.

Its key finding was that intensive, structured GP care, over eighteen months to patients with existing heart disease, reduced hospital admissions from 34% to 26%. This work informed a review which found secondary cardiac prevention in general practice can extend the lives of patients by six years.

Professor Murphy also contributed significantly to the founding of Heartwatch in 2003, Ireland’s first universally accessible chronic disease management programme for heart disease. An element of his work in this area led to the provision of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Medical Card holders.  

 Professor Murphy continued: “Over my professional lifetime, there has been a sea change, largely for the good, in Irish general practice. It is now at the epicentre of Irish healthcare. I repeatedly see the importance of this to patients where I practice in Turloughmore.”

Among other achievements he has been a champion of active involvement of public and patients in health research.

Professor Murphy emphasised the importance of collaboration, paying tribute to long-time collaborators Molly Byrne (health psychology), Susan Smith (general practice), Eamon O’Shea (health economics), John Newell (biostatistics), Paddy Gillespie (health economics) and Margaret Cupples (general practice).

Professor Martin O’Donnell, Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Galway and Consultant Geriatrician at Galway University Hospitals, congratulated Professor Murphy on the award: “This award is a reflection of Professor Murphy’s outstanding commitment to research that has directly shaped general practice and primary care policy, both in Ireland and internationally.

“His work exemplifies the University of Galway’s mission to translate research into real-world impact, improving healthcare outcomes for communities. We are proud to celebrate this achievement with him and look forward to his continued contributions to the field.”

Ends