Over €230,000 extra provided for out of hours GP services in area including Carlow
Carlow Live can reveal
Additional funding of €238,000 has been provided for out of hours GP services for the Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Wexford and Waterford areas in 2020, new figures have revealed.
In a Parliamentary Question, Fianna Fáil's Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health about the additional funding being provided to out of hours General Practitioner services in winter 2020 and the local breakdown of the allocation.
Minister Simon Harris provided information on the additional funding to be allocated to GP out of hours services in 2020 and where relevant in the 2019 winter period.
Carlow Emergency Doctors on Call (Caredoc CLG) cover GP out of hours services within the Community Healthcare and the geographic coverage takes in Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford.
Additional funding of €238,000 has been allocated in 2020 but there is no additional funding for the 2019 winter period, the figures revealed.
In a written response, Minister Harris said: "General practitioners contracted under the GMS scheme must make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum/deputy, for emergencies outside normal practice hours.
"As part of their regular obligations, GPs are contracted to provide all-hours access for GMS patients. Most GPs do this through regional GP cooperatives.
"GP cooperatives are private companies that provide out-of-hours services (i.e. weeknights, weekends, and public holidays).
"The HSE supports the provision of these services in terms of infrastructure, call handling, and recruiting nursing staff. Currently, over 90% of the population has access to an out-of-hours GP services.
"The provision of GP Out of Hours services forms an important part of service user needs in the winter period.
"Each CHO area has established a Winter Action Team in conjunction with acute hospital colleagues, and each team prioritises the allocation of dedicated additional winter funding based on local service needs and priorities."