Kinsale out-of-hours doctor service
Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony raises the loss of SouthDoc out-of-hours cover in Kinsale and asks whether a plan exists to restore local services. The Taoiseach says he will ask Minister Harris for more information and explains that GP services are often configured by contracted GP companies.
It is a pity the Minister, Deputy Harris, is no longer present because he might have been able to throw some light on this subject for me. Under the programme for Government, he committed to enhancing the whole area of health. Up to 2014 Kinsale, a town in west Cork, had its own SouthDoc out-of-hours doctor service. Since then, however, people have had to travel to the nearest town, which is 12 miles away. The people of Kinsale are very upset that this has been going on for so long and, through a series of public meetings, they have been making their feelings very much known. Is there a plan to re-establish their SouthDoc service?
Comment on this
I am afraid I do not have any specific information for the Deputy but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Harris, to give her more information. I know, from my previous background as a GP and as Minister for Health, that those doctor-on-call services are contracted to companies, owned and run by GPs in the main. They will tend to decide what is the best way to configure the service. They will often decide it is better to have people in mobile rather than stationary centres. However, I do not know enough to give the Deputy a full answer. I will certainly ask the Minister, Deputy Harris, to provide that.