HSE called on to finally quash SouthDoc ‘rumours’

The possible reduction in hours in the SouthDoc service based in Fermoy was hotly contested recently, as local councillors have called on the HSE to clarify the situation and ‘quell all rumours’ in relation to the matter.

Councillors raised the matter at a meeting of the Northern Divisional Committee this week, following on from an article published in last week’s edition of TheAvondhu.

It is understood that a meeting recently took place among those involved in the local SouthDoc service in which calls are believed to have been made for a reduction in hours, which would limit the service to between the hours of 6pm and 10pm, after which, patients will be required to avail of the ambulance service.

LACK OF RATIONALE

Criticising what she described as a ‘rumour’, Cllr Deirdre O’Brien stated that since 2020, the HSE has been ‘chipping away’ at the agreement that the service will remain in place.

“It appears to me that the HSE is an administrative service with no consideration for patient care. We’re told this latest revelation is due to a rationalisation, now tell me where is the rationale of no doctor being available to see a sick person after 10pm at night?

“Capacity has to be brought back and this won’t happen today or tomorrow and the HSE has to look at it now and work with what we have available to protect the health of the people in the Fermoy area in giving us a 24/7 GP service,” the Mitchelstown councillor stated.

Cllr Noel McCarthy acknowledged that the SouthDoc service based in Fermoy caters to a wide area and offers a valuable service to the community, however, noted the continuous fears surrounding the local service.

He went on to call for a face-toface meeting with the HSE regarding the matter.

“All we’re getting is continuous saying that there is no threat to SouthDoc in Fermoy or Mitchelstown, but the rumour mill is at it again. That’s what it is at the moment until they clarify it to us,” Cllr McCarthy said.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting, Cllr Frank O’Flynn described the proposed move as a ‘closure by stealth’.

“What they’re talking about doing here it is an absolute disgrace. I know what they’re doing, they’re talking about closing it by stealth,” Cllr O’Flynn said.

Supporting the motions, Cllr Kay Dawson criticised the solution of seeking an ambulance after 10pm for medical needs, stating that the A&E is an already overcrowded service.

The matter was described last week the time as a ‘ complete removal (of the service) in stages’. A spokesperson for Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said: “The HSE does not have any plans to cease operations of Southdoc Services in Fermoy. The HSE remains committed to providing a quality out-of-hours service, in partnership with SouthDoc in Fermoy and across Cork and Kerry.”

TheAvondhu also contacted SouthDoc directly regarding the matter, however, no response has been received to date.

‘NO ANSWER’

During this week’s meeting, Cllr O’Flynn also sought an update regarding previous correspondence sent seeking to confirm that the SouthDoc base in the town would be retained.

Council executives noted that no correspondence to last month’s motion was received.

“If they were keeping it here, they would have answered us today. That’s four weeks now and still, they have no answer. As I said earlier we are talking about the health of a community. I take it very, very serious, and they are playing with the health of a community,” Cllr O’Flynn added.