Withdrawal of out-of-hours GP car ‘will put lives at risk’

LIVES will be put at risk in east Cork, it has been claimed, as one of three out-of-hours SouthDoc cars is to be withdrawn from service due to cutbacks.

For a number of years, the cars have been based in Midleton, and serve the Carrigtwohill, Cobh, Midleton and Youghal areas at nights and weekends.

But a decision has been made to reduce the service which provides medical cover out of hours for an estimated 50,000 people.

Independent Workers’ Union national secretary, Noel Murphy, who represents SouthDoc drivers in the region, said he had been informed one of the cars is to be withdrawn from service from the Midleton depot, with the loss of three drivers’ jobs.

“The drivers were notified last week and the service will be withdrawn within a month.”

Mr Murphy said he was informed by SouthDoc that the company was forced to take the action because the budget the HSE allocated them was significantly reduced and it was necessary to cut costs.

Mr Murphy said he had written to Health Minister James Reilly expressing his dissatisfaction with the move. “The withdrawal of the car means the service to the public will be reduced.

“It’s not like a retail outlet that, when business goes down, you can justify redundancies. The level of sickness will continue to be the same,” Mr Murphy said.

He added, that in his opinion, SouthDoc should have sought to make up the funding gap by applying to philanthropic organisations such as the Rowntree Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies, headed by Irish-American Chuck Feeney.

Sinn Féin TD Sandra McLellan, who lives in Youghal, said she was shocked by the announcement and claimed “people’s lives will be put at risk” because of a 33% reduction in the service.

“There are a lot of elderly people living in isolated rural areas who will be put at risk. This is supposed to be a frontline service, which is exactly the kind of service the minister for health said wouldn’t be affected,” Ms McLellan said. “This is in total contradiction of the Government’s health strategy.

“Given the size, geographical spread and conditions of many of the roads in the area, it is essential that this service is protected. Any diminution the service is completely unacceptable.”