HSE communication over Midoc was 'absolute disgrace'

An Offaly councillor said this week that the communication strategy adopted by the Health Service Executive during the Christmas period, when it was announced that Midoc was going to close permanently, was "an absolute disgrace."
It was announced on Christmas Eve that Midoc would close from the start of the New Year, January 1st, with financial pressures being cited as the cause of the closure.
“They couldn't have chosen a worse time to make this announcement,” Cllr John Clendennen told the January monthly meeting of Birr Municipal District. “It caused widespread consternation. This is a vital service, a service that is badly needed, and people were shocked by the news. This out-of-hours GP service caters to the needs of more than 300,000 people in the midlands. The news was announced on Christmas Eve and then for several days we could get no one in the HSE to answer our calls, to answer our questions; the phonelines went dead. It felt secretive and lacking in respect. It was an absolute disgrace.”
Cllr Peter Ormond agreed. “The HSE's communication is often terrible. It felt as if the announcement was made deliberately during the festive season when people were focussed on the household tasks and the activities of Christmas. It felt like history repeating itself, because we lost Midoc in Birr a few years ago and the communication was equally bad then.” Cllr Ormond recalled that hundreds of Birr people turned out at a public meeting in the town at the time, strongly objecting to the closure of the service.
Cllr John Carroll, Cathaoirleach of the MD, said he wants to arrange a meeting with the HSE and discuss the issue.
Midoc's future remains uncertain. One of the councillors pointed out that the only guarantee at the moment is that it will remain operational until this Sunday January 15th. While the HSE assured the general public last week that they would keep the service open beyond the 15th until an alternative provider is found, the councillors remain sceptical about this and feel the future of the service is still on shaky ground.
“A lot of people in south Offaly have contacted me about this,” remarked Cllr Carroll. “They are very concerned and upset. They mightn't be quite as concerned in Tullamore because they have an Emergency Department in the town's hospital, but down here in south Offaly we don't have that. People in our region are feeling more isolated and ignored. They feel the powers that be are indifferent to their plight. It was a huge loss to Birr and the wider region when our Midoc service closed down a few years ago.
“Now, it's all up in the air. The HSE are saying a permanent solution will be put in place but there's scepticism about this.”
Established in 2002, Midoc was formed by a group of local GPs.
In a statement issued on January 4th, the HSE said “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 co-ordinated the rotas and payments for the local GPs and locum GPs who worked in the out of hours service for Laois, Offaly, Mullingar and Longford ceased trading on 31st December 2022.
"HSE Midlands Louth Meath Community Healthcare had been engaging with MIDOC CP CLG for a number of months to help address the financial challenges it faced.
“The HSE is disappointed that MIDOC CP CLG made the decision to cease trading, effective midnight 31st December 2022 when we were looking to provide a sustainable model going forward.
"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 GPs 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.”