SouthDoc plans to cut services by 50%

PLANS by a doctors’ out-of-hours scheme to cut patient treatment services by as much as 50% in parts of Cork and Kerry to deal with a funding crisis have been condemned by the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO).

The nurses’ union said SouthDoc management told them it planned to cut nursing services in treatment centres in Killarney and Tralee in Co Kerry and eliminate such services in the Clonakilty centre in Co Cork.

INO industrial relations officer Michael Dineen said a funding shortfall of about €600,000 was being blamed. “The proposed cuts are extremely short-sighted and have the capacity to impact significantly on members of the public,” he said.