John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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155. To ask the Minister for Health if he will establish a general practitioner out-of-hours service in north Wicklow; if not, the reasons therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41027/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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General practitioners contracted under the General Medical Services scheme must make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum/deputy, for emergencies outside normal practice hours. While there is no obligation on GPs to participate in GP out of hours cooperatives as a means of meeting this contractual requirement, such services have been developed and expanded over time and are now an essential part of our primary care services helping to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, urgent care needs are met in the primary care setting.

The geographic area of North Wicklow, which covers Bray, Greystones and Enniskerry, is not currently serviced by a GP out of hours co-operative. The current out of hours service for the area is provided through a GP deputising service covering night time and weekend periods. The HSE has advised that the current service is unable to meet demand and is not sustainable long term.

I recognise the need for an improved out of hours service for North Wicklow which can provide the appropriate level of cover for the population of the area. The development of such a service would allow GPs to participate fully in the provision of an integrated healthcare system providing medical services that are appropriate, timely and effective, easily accessible and responsive to the needs of patients.

The HSE remains committed to the development of GP out of hours services in North Wicklow, and a proposal to provide a structured out of hours service for the area which would ensure 24/7 GP cover is being pursued. I expect to be in a position to provide further news on this in the coming weeks.

The HSE's National Primary Care Division has also undertaken a national review of current GP out of hours services and a final report is expected to be completed shortly. This report will make recommendations regarding the future provision of GP out of hours services and will have particular relevance to the currents gaps in service, in areas such as North Wicklow.