GPs fear lives at risk as HSE slashes out-of-hours funding

DOCTORS have warned patients’ lives will be at risk because of a plan by the Health Service Executive to slash funding to an out of hours GP service in the north east.

The North East Doctor on Call (NEDOC) service has been told that instead of an annual block grant it will receive a payment for every public patient treated from next year.

NEDOC, established 10 years ago, received €5m in funding from the health authority last year.