Blaney meets with Health Minister about GP Out of Hours Service jobs for Letterkenny
Local Fianna Fáil TD and member of the Oireachtas Health Committee Niall Blaney met with the Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney TD to discuss the relocation of GP Out of Hours call centre jobs to Letterkenny. 17/05/10This follows discussions between Deputy Blaney and the Health Service Executive regarding the National Review of GP Out of Hours Service which was carried out recently. The Review revealed the extent of the escalating cost of the out of hours service and recommended that one call centre replace three currently in operation in the West.
Deputy Blaney says these jobs should be located in Donegal, and ideally in Letterkenny. He met with the Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney to urge her to establish the call centre in Letterkenny.
“There are concerns within the HSE about the costs involved in operating three call centres for the out of hours doctor services. It must be stressed that regardless of how many call centres there are, or where they are located, the services being offered to people will not be affected. The service is operating quite well in three areas within HSE West including Letterkenny, Galway and Limerick and they will continue to do so.”
“The reality is that the service is costing €90 million more to operate here than it is in the North for the same population. It is only right that the HSE is looking to make savings in this area if possible.”
“However, if the centres are going to be reconfigured or relocated, I want them to be relocated to Letterkenny.”
“Donegal has the highest unemployment in the region and it has the workforces ready for jobs like these.”
“The relocation of the centre would mean the creation of some 30 or 40 jobs and that would be a great boost to the town.”
“The review of the service is currently being considered by the HSE and I met with the Minister Harney today to stress the case for the Letterkenny. She is going to arrange a meeting for us with Professor Brendan Drumm in the next couple of weeks to discuss the proposal further,” concluded Niall Blaney TD.
