Doctors may form co-op splinter group

LIMERICK CITY GPs may split from other doctors in the mid-west to form their own co-op to provide out-of-hours cover, it emerged yesterday.

It is understood the city doctors were infuriated by the comments of Junior Health Minister Tim O’Malley about their refusal to join Shannondoc, a co-op of about 100 doctors in counties Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, which provides out-of-hours cover.

He told the Irish Examiner last October he did not think Limerick city doctors were putting their patients first by refusing to join Shannondoc, which was set up in September 2003.