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Cavan, Ireland, Dec 22, 2021 -- The North East Doctor on-call Service expects to be busier than ever this Christmas and urges the public to remember it is an urgent out of hours only service.

The service is also warning patients they cannot walk into a centre without an appointment.

"This is especially pertinent during Covid," said operations manager, Arlene Fitzsimons.

"Patients who arrive at the centre with no appointment will be told to ring 1800 777 911, their call will be taken, triaged by a nurse and a GP will ring them subsequently if that is necessary. If an appointment is then appropriate, they will be advised to return for that appointment at a later time."

She reminded people that have Covid-19 symptoms of the necessity to isolate themselves from everyone and arrange a PCR test.

Ms Fitzsimons points out that NEDOC provides urgent out-of-hours GP care.

"NEDOC is an urgent service, it is not a routine replacement for your own daytime GP. If patients have routine issues, they should make an appointment with their own daytime GP who is best placed to manage their long-term health.

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However, patients with urgent medical concerns that arise when their own GP surgery is closed should contact NEDOC on 1800 777 911.

However, in the event of an emergency or if your situation deteriorates, you should contact the emergency services immediately on 112 or 999."

This Christmas, the service will operate from 6pm Friday 24th December to 8am Wednesday 29th December 2021, from 6pm to 8am on Wednesday 29th December. Thursday 30th December and from 6pm Thursday 31st December to 8am Tuesday 4th January.

"This year with a four-day Christmas and three-day New Year, we expect to be busier than ever, and patients may face delays getting through to the service at peak times or waiting for a call back," Ms Fitzsimons said.

"It is important to remember that GP surgeries will be open as normal on non-bank holiday days such as Christmas Eve, Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st.

"Over the Christmas period, the call centre is exceptionally busy especially during early morning times. Callers may experience delays in getting through or getting their call answered but are asked to be patient."

She advised patients who may need regular prescriptions to get them filled by their own surgery in advance of Christmas.

"A lot of respiratory illnesses are likely to occur in children over Christmas, most of these illnesses can be managed at home with over-the-counter medications. However, NEDOC should be contacted in the case of children whose condition deteriorates following home measures or who are very lethargic or experiencing difficulties."

Patients who do not have a medical card or GP visit card are charged a fee of €50 for a GP phone consultation or €65 for a face-to-face visit in the treatment centre.

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Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: https://www.anglocelt.ie