Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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664. To ask the Minister for Health the actions he has taken to support the HSE to reopen SouthDoc Blackpool and Listowel. [5204/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In response to the Covid-10 pandemic, to help prevent the spread of the virus for the protection of staff and patients, SouthDoc Management informed the HSE of their decision in March 2020 to close a number of treatment centres. All treatment centres, other than Blackpool and Listowel, have since reopened.

SouthDoc Management previously advised the Chief Officer of HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare that both the Blackpool and Listowel treatment centres were to reopen from 18 January.  However, SouthDoc Management subsequently made the decision to maintain the closure of these centres.

SouthDoc out-of-hours GP services provider is a private organisation which is partly funded by the HSE. The Chief Officer of HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has discussed this matter with the  Chairman of SouthDoc, and the HSE are actively pursuing the reopening of these centres. A meeting with SouthDoc Management is in the process of being arranged. SouthDoc have previously assured the HSE that every possible effort has been made and will continue to be made to avoid or minimise any impact on patients as a result of the closures.  The HSE has put arrangements in place with all Out of Hours GP service providers nationally since the beginning of the pandemic to provide them with financial support in order to ensure that services could be maintained.