HSE refuses to support city doctors forming their own co-op

MOVES by Limerick city-based GPs to form a break-away doctors’ co-op to provide out-of-hours cover have been rejected by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Mid West.

The mid-west is already serviced by Shannondoc, a co-op of more than 100 GPs in Clare, Co Limerick and North Tipperary.

However, Limerick city GPs have resisted calls from Junior Health Minister Tim O’Malley to join Shannondoc to provide a comprehensive out of hours cover for patients in the city.

Limerick city GPs insist they already have their own groupings of doctors who fill in for one another at night, weekends and holidays.

However, Mr O’Malley said this was an ad hoc arrangement and did not give the comprehensive cover provided by Shannondoc. He also accused city doctors of not putting the interests of their patients first.

A report in the Irish Medical News claimed that Limerick city doctors were now going ahead to form their own co-op and that money would be provided by the HSE.

The HSE said in a statement yesterday it had no plans to finance alternative co-op arrangements as suggested in the Irish Medical News article, and had not given assurances that funding would be available to finance such arrangements.

“Funding is available at present to complete the GP co-operative programme for the mid-west on the basis of the proposal submitted to and approved by the Department of Health and Children in 2000, ie Shannondoc. This continues to be the position and the Limerick city GPs are encouraged to come on board with the co-op in the interest of completing the structured ‘out-of-hours’ cover arrangements now in place across the rest of the mid-west area,” a HSE spokesman said.

There are about 70 GPs in Limerick city who have refused to join Shannondoc.

Mr O’Malley said since the commencement of Shannondoc 18 months ago, there had been a significant drop in the number of people seeking attention at the A&E in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.