Mid-west GP out-of-hours service
Deputy Dooley warns that proposed changes to the GP out-of-hours service in Clare and the mid-west would worsen pressure on emergency departments and trolleys. The Minister says he will examine the issue after visiting University Hospital Limerick and reiterates the commitment to GP contract talks by year end.
Serious commitments were made in the programme for Government about the protection of services in rural Ireland. The GP out-of-hours service is really important in assisting people who need GP services out of hours or at weekends. A huge burden is taken off accident and emergency units if such people are properly facilitated. However, there is a proposal in the mid-west, announced only yesterday, for a very serious curtailment of such services that will affect people in east and west Clare. In my view, the proposal is crazy and has the capacity to put a greater burden on an already over-extended accident and emergency service in Limerick. As the Tánaiste knows-----
Comment on this
There is a commitment there for it. As the Tánaiste knows, if people do not get to see a GP at the weekend and end up waiting until Monday, they find themselves on hospital trolleys for the early part of the week. There must be immediate intervention to ensure this proposal does not go ahead.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy Dooley for bringing this matter to my attention. I will be visiting University Hospital Limerick tomorrow where I will ask to be briefed on the issue and I will revert to the Deputy at that stage. I agree with him on the importance of GPs and, as the Deputy knows, the Government is committed to entering into contract talks with GPs by the end of the year.