Midlands out-of-hours GP service to close down from New Year's Day

Midoc was formed by a group of local GPs in 2002 to cover Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. File picture

A vital out-of-hours GP service in the Midlands is to shut indefinitely from New Year’s Day.

The pressures on Midoc, the Midlands GP service which has covered Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath for 20 years, come days after the Irish Examiner reported that Southdoc faces being overwhelmed by demand too. Established in 2002, Midoc was formed by a group of local GPs. 

Local TD and former Justice and Foreign Affairs Minister, Charlie Flanagan, said on social media that he was “shocked and saddened to hear that the out-of-hours medical service Midoc, which is a private company, is closing down from New Year's Day.” 

Mr Flanagan called on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to intervene and “ensure this vital medical service continues for Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath.” In a statement, the HSE said that it was “disappointed” that the out-of-hours service would no longer operate.

The HSE said: "HSE Midlands Louth Meath Community Healthcare has been engaging with (Midoc) for a number of months to help address the financial challenges it faced.

"The HSE is disappointed that Midoc has made the decision to cease trading for an indefinite period, effective midnight December 31, 2022, when we were looking to provide a sustainable model going forward.”

In the short-term and to mitigate the risks, through a third party the HSE has put in place what it said is “appropriate cover based on normal and scheduled GP Out Of Hours practice and rosters and to ensure that the necessary supports are in place to deliver the best care to our service users, while ensuring that patient safety and quality of service are at the forefront of service delivery."

In addition, the HSE is in the process of seeking an alternative provider which it hopes to have in place in the coming months.

The HSE has said it will continue "to communicate and engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure they are fully appraised of and consulted on any future developments”.