Vol. 559 No. 3
113 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to general practitioners withdrawing from the out of hours cover at hospitals due to a dispute between his Department and GPs due to his failure to roll out Doc Care in certain areas, as reported in a publication (details supplied). [26163/02]
The matter referred to by the Deputy involves the withdrawal of cover by a group of general practitioners to St. John's Hospital, Wexford. The GPs in question had an agreement with the South-Eastern Health Board to provide cover to the hospital. I understand that responsibility for the out of hours cover to St. John's was to transfer to the Caredoc co-operative when it commenced in the Wexford area. The proposed expansion of Caredoc to Wexford had originally been planned for late 2002. My Department will shortly be engaging in discussions with the South-Eastern Health Board in relation to the expansion of Caredoc during 2003.
My Department has been informed that a non-consultant hospital doctor, working under the direction of a consultant geriatrician, has been employed on contract to provide day cover to St. John's. The contract at present covers the period to the end of 2002. In addition, support is available to the hospital from the geriatrician at Wexford General Hospital. For medical emergencies and night cover, it is normal practice for patients at St. John's to be transferred to Wexford, 15 miles away. This procedure remains in place.
