HSE to provide cover for MIDOC following shock closure announcement

THE Health Service Executive says it has engaged a third party agency to provide appropriate cover until January 15, 2023, in the wake of the shock announcement by MIDOC that it will cease on December 31. What will happen after January 15 is unknown at this point.

MIDOC is a HSE run service operating from HSE premises and covers Tullamore, Portlaoise, Longford and Mullingar. Athlone GP Out of Hours (OHH) is a separate entity and is not affected.

The HSE say the third party they have engaged has already been providing medical support to MIDOC GP CLG and the service will be based on normal and scheduled GP out of hours practice and rosters until they confirm an alternative provider.

A HSE statement said: ''This means that as of 01 January 2023, patients call the same number and attend whichever of the existing treatment centres they are directed to attend, if required. The HSE will provide ongoing updates as we support the GPs and members of the public due to the untimely departure of MIDOC GP CLG.''

Deputy Barry Cowen has said he ''will continue to insist on the HSE meeting with local reps across the region when assurances and relative timelines for the provision of a permanent replacement service.''

Local Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley is to request the Dail Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to investigate the withdrawal of services by Midoc.

He said “as Chairperson of the (PAC) I will be requesting that we examine this matter thoroughly. I want the committee to examine the funding model, the structure and the mechanisms for accountability that have been or are still in place.

The withdrawal of this out of hours GP service on Christmas Eve requires further examination. The decision by this private company, which has been in receipt of significant sums of public money, has put a further question mark over how out of hours GP services are provided in this State.

The reality is that 6 different models of private cover are used across the country to provide this service. This ad hoc approach is not sustainable. The collapse of Midoc follows on from problems over the past year with South Doc, which provides out of hours GP services in Cork and Kerry. Services were suspended in some locations in these 2 counties.''

Meanwhile an online petition set up by Change.org entitled Keep our Midoc Service Open had 3,195 signatures, up to the time of writing.

Some of the reasons people gave for signing include:

*It's an essential service.

*Disgraceful that this vital and essential service is being shut. They need to add services, not shut them down. It will so negatively affect so many people in the Midlands.

*It is an essential out of hours service and is needed in the regions. It can be a matter of life or death if patients don't get treated asap