Grave concern has been expressed in both houses of the Oireachtas over the future of an out of hours GP service in the east Galway and south Roscommon areas.
A meeting was held on Monday night to highlight a major lack of support for WestDoc where it's understood a number of GPs are considering retirement.
The future of the service was raised by TD Sean Canney in the Dail as well as Senator Aisling dolan in the Seanad where the matter as described as being at a 'crisis point'.
Doctors are understood to be working over 40 and 50 hours proving out of hours care and a meeting is to be held tonight between local Oireachtas members and the Minister for Health to discuss the matter.
Deputy Canney says the situation is very worrying for thousands of people in various communities in Roscommon and east Galway. :
"They serve approximately 15,000 patients and they're currently working full 24 cover with weekend cover of 53 hours straight without a driver, no nursing or administration staff, or triage services. An application has been made each year for the last 5 years by the HSE to the Department of Health to look for funding, and has been refused on the basis that there's no funding available".
East Galway TD and Minister of state for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte claimed that doctors had told the meeting that they may withdraw their services from December
"The GP's in the Ballinasloe area have served notice to withdraw their weekend cover from the 1st of December and they were very clear about that. If that does happen, it would be the first time in 50 years that our GPs would withdraw from providing a service, and would also be the first time in 50 years that they would terminate themselves out of a contract because they are contracted but no supported".
