Butler expresses concern over cuts to NEDoC

Trim Fine Gael Councillor Ray Butler has hit out at the HSE and government, saying their claims regarding the safeguarding of frontline health services is a “shamâ€. Cllr Butler said he was particularly concerned at the proposed reduction in funding to the North-East Doctor-on-Call (NEDoC) service under cover of the HSE's published national review of GP out-of-hours services. “I am greatly concerned that the excellent service given by the Doctor-on-Call will be drastically reduced in 2011. This is an essential frontline service that works well. It is a proven and well-tested service that was the only service available 24 hours to the general public over the prolonged holiday period gone by,†he said. “This service handled nearly 6,000 calls, which is vindication that this is one part of the health service that actually works. I would like to pay tribute to the doctors and staff of the Doctor-on-Call service who worked hard for all the community over the Christmas and New Year periods,†added Cllr Butler. He said he does not believe that the HSE is comparing each GP out-of-hours service on a like-for-like basis and that there would be major differences in the requirements of largely rural-based services compared to mainly urban-based services. Cllr Butler said he believes that the HSE should tell the public about what it proposes to do to the Doctor-on-Call service as a result of implementing its own GP out-of-hours review. “I believe that this so-called national review is just another report to justify the HSE's decision to cut back this essential frontline service, at the same time as informing the public that investing in primary care services is essential to cost-effective reform of our health service. This is quite clearly the HSE once again talking out of both sides of their mouth at the same time.†The Trim councillor said he has been informed by other essential frontline services who deal with the most vulnerable in the community that they have been informed by the HSE of huge cutbacks in their funding provisions for 2011. “This is just not acceptable from the HSE which is the organisation that is tasked with delivering our health service. It proves that the government's promise to protect essential services such as Doctor-on-Call is a sham,†he claimed. Cllr Butler said the Fine Gael health policy - its Fair Care programme for government - is the only solution that will ensure that funding follows the patient. “I believe that the HSE should be expanding the Doctor-On-Call service instead of curtailing it as it has proved its importance to the community over the past decade. I believes that the area of Trim and south Meath which has grown hugely over the past decade should be served by its own Doctor-on-Call centre, as requiring people with young children or elderly sick relatives to travel from areas in south Meath to Navan is unacceptable,†said the Trim councillor.