Donegal Sinn Féin Deputies Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn have stated that the NOWDOC, out of hours GP services in Donegal must be maintained.
They were speaking after speaking to Donegal’s senior HSE managers, they said.
They described any suggestion of the erosion of the existing services as “a red line issue” for the people of Donegal.
In a joint statement, they said: “HSE managers John Hayes and Kieran Doherty have outlined their proposals to remove the NOWDOC receptionists based in Carndonagh, Gweedore,and Mountcharles from Monday to Thursday and redeploy them to other HSE work in Ballybofey.
“The unions have opposed this and the issue is now before the Labour Relations Court.
“If this proposal goes ahead, then the NOWDOC treatment centre in those three locations outside of Letterkenny will have to close when the doctor and driver on duty are called out. This is an erosion of the existing service and will clearly cause inconvenience to patients across rural Donegal.”
They continued: “However, we also understand that the HSE management are considering further proposals to shut down the NOWDOC treatment centres outside of Letterkenny.
“We have made it absolutely clear to the HSE managers that this is a red line issue for the people of Donegal. We will not accept people from very rural areas of Donegal having to travel long distances to Letterkenny or wait on a doctor call out from Letterkenny in the event of a medical emergency.
“We are now publicly calling on HSE management to make it absolutely clear that the NOWDOC out of hours GP bases at Carndonagh, Gaoth Dobhair and Mountcharles will not be closed. The people of Donegal have accepted the compromise that was NOWDOC in order to take pressure of local GPs. We will not accept any further erosion of our essential health services.”
Tags: