Lack of GP services criticised
The HSE was described as an “uncontrollable monster” during a discussion on health services at Cavan County Council’s monthly meeting.
Cllr Philip Brady (FF) spoke of his experience using the NEDOC service and visiting Cavan’s Emergency Department recently after his 11-month-old child fell ill with a stomach bug.
“We rang the doc-on-call and the nurse took our details. We were told to go to A&E and my wife asked for a [referral] letter like you’d usually get from your GP. Considering under sixes have free GP care, we’d probably expect it like anybody else.
“She rang A&E and gave the details and was told to go up to paediatrics. They landed in the children’s ward where my son was looked after to the highest level.”
However, Cllr Brady spoke of his shock at receiving a €100 bill for A&E services a few weeks later, despite not having visited the Emergency Department.
“I decided to look a bit more into it. When I rang, they said we used A&E services. I said ‘we didn’t, we picked up the phone’. They said ‘well you used A&E services’.”
He said that, while this was only the situation encountered by his family, it’s an all too common experience locally.
“It seems to be happening an awful lot. People are going to the Doctor-on-call, it’s either too busy and can’t see all these patients and is referring them to A&E. That isn’t an issue.
“The issue is where people have a medical card or free GP care. They’re not getting a [referral] letter.”
Cllr Brady said nurses are not authorised by the HSE to send referral letters for patients, “even though the nurse is a trained nurse and they know what they’re talking about”.
He proposed the council write to the HSE calling for a change.
Cllr Shane P O’Reilly (IND) said “thousands” are facing the same issue in the region, with some being contacted by debt collectors if they fail to pay the bill.
He claimed there are 12 doctors working in the east Cavan region but it’s “easier to get a vet to come out than a doctor”.
Cllr Carmel Brady (FG) said there were only three doctors working in the out-of-hours service in Cavan as the service “can’t get GPs to do it”.
Sinn Fein's Paddy McDonald (SF) said he was aware of a person who recently had major surgery being forced to drive to Castleblayney to see a doctor. They had been told to avoid attending the hospital due to their recovery and the Covid situation at the time. The only GP available to them was in south Monaghan.
Cllr TP O’Reilly (FG) said a meeting should be sought with the HSE’s CEO Paul Reid as “letters are not doing it”.
Closing the discussion, Cllr Brady said doctors seem to be “jetting off” to Australia and the USA after they graduate. He further suggested a measure where doctors must work in Ireland for at least two years once they complete their studies.