Vol. 517 No. 6
247 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to develop and expand the number of general practitioners co-operatives to improve out of hours services for patients and eliminate inappropriate referrals to accident and emergency departments. [10639/00]
In supporting the development of a 24 hour primary healthcare service which would meet the primary care needs of the public and reduce the demand on accident and emergency hospital services my Department is currently supporting a number of initiatives which are concerned with the area of out-of-hours services. These include DUBDOC in the Dublin area and CAREDOC in the Carlow-Kilkenny area. Later this year a region wide out-of-hours general practice service will commence in the North Eastern Health Board area.
As the Deputy will be aware this area was further highlighted in the recent Programme for Prosperity and Fairness which provided for the development of pilot 24 hour seven day primary health care models and it is likely that the initiatives already under way will provide a basis for the extension of the out of hours primary care service in the context of ongoing discussions with health boards-ERHA on service developments.
