The SouthDoc service in Listowel will be reviewed, if there’s an increase in the number of patients accessing it to ensure the service is appropriate.
That’s according to Cork Kerry Community Healthcare.
The issue of the service’s opening hours was raised at the recent HSE South Regional Health Forum meeting by Fine Gael councillor Michael Foley.
Councillors in the Listowel Municipal District have previously called for a meeting with SouthDoc to discuss issues surrounding the service in the North Kerry area.
They’ve called for the hours to be extended and raised concerns regarding how the service operated throughout the winter.
At the recent Health Forum meeting councillor Michael Foley asked when the full out-of-hours GP service would be returned to the SouthDoc centre in Listowel.
In response, Cork Kerry Community Healthcare stated the out-of-hours service in Listowel had been curtailed at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When it reopened in September 2021, it operated Monday to Friday in the same way as it always did, however, the Saturday hours were changed to 9am to 5pm and on Sundays and Bank Holidays it now operates from 9am to 1pm.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says SouthDoc has advised they’re continuing to monitor the demand for the service and if there’s an increase in the patients accessing the service, they will review it to ensure the appropriate service is available.
