A nasty strain of flu in circulation in Kerry at the moment, looks set to make the forthcoming festive period another busy one for SouthDoc.
That’s according to Director of the out-of-hours GP service, Dr Gary Stack.
He’s appealed to the public to be patient when looking for an appointment over the holiday season.
SouthDoc, which covers Cork as well as Kerry, typically deals with 4,500 patients each week, half of which are at the weekends.
Last year, 16,500 calls were made to SouthDoc over the course of the Christmas and new year period, and early indications are that this year will be equally busy.
The SouthDoc service will be open on all public holidays such as Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Day, as well as at night-time from 6pm on the days next week when regular GP services re-open.
Anyone calling the service on 0818 355 999 is advised to have their medical card at the ready, if they have one, and to keep their mobile phoned charged and free, until an available nurse calls back.
Dr Gary Stack re-iterated the message that the majority of common illnesses can be treated at home, and many people may not need to see a doctor:
