'Enormous anxiety' over Midoc, says Laois Offaly TD

The HSE says the HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO will continue running the service previously provided by MIDOC GP CLG until an alternative provider is in place. 

The HSE issued the statement in response to comments from Laois Offaly TD Carol Nolan. She had accused the HSE of poor communication in relation to the continued operation of the GP out-of-hours service. 

Deputy Nolan said she and several other local representatives had previously been informed that the service in Tullamore would remain in place as the HSE had sourced third party providers to continue operating the service.

However, she said the HSE has now stated that the third party agency will only provide appropriate cover “until 15 January 2023” based on normal and scheduled GP out-of-hours practice and rosters while the HSE confirms an alternative provider:

“This is either very poor communication on the part of the HSE or information is being deliberately withheld from the community about the future of the MIDOC service,” said Deputy Nolan.

“There is enormous anxiety out there about the potentially permanent removal of this service upon which so much people rely for access to local healthcare,” she stated. 

“I have engaged with the HSE today demanding that it provide a definitive answer on this matter. We need to know what will happen post 15 January, because to date the drip-drip manner in which information is being released is entirely unacceptable,” concluded Deputy Nolan.

The HSE pointed out that there hasn’t been any disruption to the service with the HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO(Community Healthcare Organisation) running the service previously provided by MIDOC GP CLG. 

“There has been no disruption to the urgent out of hours GP services in the Midlands. The only change is that the private company, MIDOC GP CLG which coordinated the rotas/payments for the local GP’s and locum GP’s who worked in the out of hours service for Laois, Offaly, Mullingar and Longford ceased trading on 31st Dec 2022.”

They said the HSE Midlands Louth Meath Community Healthcare had been engaging with MIDOC GP CLG for a number of months to help address the financial challenges it faced.

“The HSE is disappointed that MIDOC GP CLG made the decision to cease trading, effective midnight 31 December 2022 when we were looking to provide a sustainable model going forward,” they said.  

https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/local-news/1002161/health-minister-must-knock-heads-together-to-prevent-unthinkable-lack-of-gp-cover-demands-laois-td.html

“However, HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO would like to reassure service users and patients that arrangements have been put in place between the HSE and local GP’s which will ensure continuity of care. Patients with urgent medical needs will continue to access the service as normal by calling the same number 1800 302 702 and, if required, they will be directed to one of the existing HSE owned treatment centres, which is what has happened since 1st January 2023.”

“HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO is currently in the process of seeking an alternative provider with a view to having that provider in place shortly. In the meantime, HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO is managing the previous role of MIDOC GP CLG. The Out of Hours Service is a HSE service and the interim solution will continue until an alternative provider is in place,” the HSE stated.