Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and thank the Office of the Cathaoirleach for choosing this Commencement matter. It is regrettable there is no Minister or Minister of State here from the Department of Health. I have raised this matter on at least two occasions going back to 2020 and 2021. It relates to the lack of cover by Westdoc for Moycullen- and Oughterard-based GPs. As the Minister of State will be aware, out-of-hour services are very important, and I know he will face similar situations in his part of the world.

Westdoc is very important in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon for providing out-of-hours cover and easing the pressure on GPs by making it more attractive for GPs to fill positions. A vacancy in Oughterard has not been filled for a number of years and I believe that, if Westdoc cover were part of the package, that position would be more attractive for a GP to take up. The importance of out-of-hours services relates to patient safety and ensuring patients have the best cover they need. Westdoc is a company organised by GPs in Galway city. I hope that over the next period those GPs can, with funding from the HSE, provide full Westdoc cover.

I appreciate that, since I raised the matter previously, funding has been provided for an improved and enhanced service in the Moycullen-Oughterard area via the red-eye service, or cover from 12 midnight to 8 a.m., which is certainly an improvement. Nevertheless, of course, from closing time at 6 p.m. to 12 midnight, cover still has to be provided by locally based GPs in Moycullen and Oughterard, including Rosscahill and Caladh na Muc.

I call on the Department of Health to ensure that we get a full integration of Westdoc services in Moycullen and Oughterard. That is the least the denizens of that area deserve. There are two issues, namely, whether funding is provided and whether there is a willingness among city-based GPs to provide that cover. In case they think we are the wild west or something, we are not. We are very decent people and, with the new eircodes we have, it is now much easier to find rural residences. I urge the city-based GPs to engage with the HSE and I urge the HSE to provide the cover necessary to provide Westdoc services in Moycullen, Rosscahill and Oughterard.