Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Health the reason that a service (details supplied) will not see children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6865/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE advises parents and guardians to contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service if their child is unwell and they are worried about them.

Assessments are performed over the phone to determine if a patient needs to attend the surgery or Out-of-Hours treatment centre. When assessing patients, the GP or nurse will arrange for either a telephone or face-to-face consultation, or refer the patient to their nearest ED based on their clinical judgement.

GP practices and GP out-of-hour services co-operatives are private entities. Where a patient, or a parent on behalf of a child patient, is unhappy with or wishes to discuss the decision to provide a consultation or to refer the patient to the emergency department, the matter should be raised directly with the GP practice or out-of-hour services co-operative concerned.