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Health Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005

Wednesday, 26 January 2005

Questions (204, 205)

Michael Ring

Question:

260 Mr. Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the proposals of the Health Services Executive western area for Knock, County Mayo; the nature of the building being constructed in Knock; and the services which will be provided from that property in Knock. [1333/05]

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Michael Ring

Question:

261 Mr. Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a review has taken place of the Westdoc facility in the west; if so, the outcome of that review; if an independent review will be taken of this facility to assess the way in which it is working; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Westdoc plans to set up a headquarters in Knock even though it has not carried out a review of the existing services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1334/05]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 together.

Westdoc is an out-of-hours general practitioner led service which operates on a partnership basis between the participating GPs and the Health Service Executive, western area. The service has been operating since December 2002 and to date it has received over 95,000 patient contacts. Westdoc has 107 general practitioners providing service to public and private patients in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

The service was primarily established to provide a more managed and structured service to patients requiring urgent GP care out of hours. The service operates via a lo-call number with patients receiving advice from specially trained triage nurses and appointments to see a GP in their locality where required or domiciliary visits where deemed appropriate. Calls are prioritised in order of their seriousness with more urgent calls receiving the earliest appointments.

A patient satisfaction survey, independently conducted by NUIG in July 2003, found that "patient satisfaction with the Westdoc service is very high". A further patient satisfaction survey will be conducted in 2005. I am conscious of the challenges of providing this service over a particularly wide, rural area and I hope these challenges will continue to be addressed in order to meet patients' needs.

The Health Service Executive, western area, has purchased a premises at Drum, Knock, County Mayo, that will serve as a central base for out-of-hours GP services in this immediate area and it is planned to provide a range of primary care day services from this facility. Refurbishment work on the premises, an existing building that has been unoccupied for some time, is expected to commence within the next few months. The Health Service Executive does not have a similar health facility in the immediate area and this development will play a central role in meeting the health needs of the local population.

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