doctors open today

Umpalumpa

Morning folks
does anyone know oof a doctors that is open today(bank holiday)

Thanks

Dizzyblonde

DDoc cover bank holidays and out of hours, and they sit in the health centre in Swords.
You phone them, they get a nurse to phone you back, then you're given an appointment. It's a HSE service so they take medical cards, and if you don't have one the charge is €60

Dizzyblonde

Sorry, forgot to add the phone number!
1850 224477

RobFowl

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

DDoc cover bank holidays and out of hours, and they sit in the health centre in Swords.
You phone them, they get a nurse to phone you back, then you're given an appointment. It's a HSE service so they take medical cards, and if you don't have one the charge is €60

At the risk of being pedantic it's not a HSE service as such but a partnership between local GP's in co-operatrion with the HSE.....:rolleyes:

Eoineo

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

DDoc cover bank holidays and out of hours, and they sit in the health centre in Swords.
You phone them, they get a nurse to phone you back, then you're given an appointment. It's a HSE service so they take medical cards, and if you don't have one the charge is €60

Just to point out that this depends on your gp as some of Balbriggan is covered by the NE-Doc service, based in Drogheda.

tatli_lokma

Eoineo wrote: »

Just to point out that this depends on your gp as some of Balbriggan is covered by the NE-Doc service, based in Drogheda.

You don't need to be registered with a GP in Balbriggan to avail of the service, or any GP for that matter. When we first returned to Ireland we had not had a chance to register with a doctor when my husband got very sick over the weekend. We rang D-Doc and were still able to be seen in Swords (although you can attend any of the clinics, so if there isn't a suitable appointment for you in Swords you can see if there is one in Ballymun or where ever).

Although it is good to have the service, don't get me wrong, it is a bit annoying when you go to D-doc only to be seen by your own doctor! Because of the pay they get to cover D-Doc, it is more lucrative for them to provide D-Doc service than it is to open their own clinic outof hours.

RobFowl

Little Ted wrote: »

You don't need to be registered with a GP in Balbriggan to avail of the service, or any GP for that matter. When we first returned to Ireland we had not had a chance to register with a doctor when my husband got very sick over the weekend. We rang D-Doc and were still able to be seen in Swords (although you can attend any of the clinics, so if there isn't a suitable appointment for you in Swords you can see if there is one in Ballymun or where ever).

Although it is good to have the service, don't get me wrong, it is a bit annoying when you go to D-doc only to be seen by your own doctor! Because of the pay they get to cover D-Doc, it is more lucrative for them to provide D-Doc service than it is to open their own clinic outof hours.

Trust me this is not entirely true. GP's don;t receive the fee yo get when you attend D-Doc. They get a a salary /hourly rate and the fee is paid to the company running D-Doc. In effect they would earn a lot more opening themselves.
They use D doc as it's simply not feasible to work 168 hour weeks in this day and age.
Also you are supposed to have your own GP to use D doc and if your GP is not a member you should be directed to which ever out of hours GP service your own GP uses.....
Exceptions are made for "temporary residents" ad in case of emergencies.

tatli_lokma

I know they don't get the fee :rolleyes: they get a salary, that is understood.

I know a doctor who works for one of the doctor on call services. I also know of a practice nurse who does extra hours for d-doc. Their hourly salary would make your eyes water. Trust me, they would not earn more opening themselves. No one expects them to work a 168 hour week. But a rotating system where they each agree to open evenings/weekends would be more cost efficient.

It is particularly riling when not so long ago I was told my evening appointment would have to be cancelled with my GP as he was not able to work that night. I was trying to avoid missing a full day off work, as I know what treatment I needed and would have been right as rain the next day. So I went to D-doc instead of missing the next day from work. In I arrive and lo-and-behold who is one of the doctors on call? none other than my own GP - who had cancelled HIS evening surgery so he could instead work for D-doc. That in itself tells you that it is more lucrative for them to work for d-doc than it is to run their own surgery.

RobFowl

Little Ted wrote: »

It is particularly riling when not so long ago I was told my evening appointment would have to be cancelled with my GP as he was not able to work that night. I was trying to avoid missing a full day off work, as I know what treatment I needed and would have been right as rain the next day. So I went to D-doc instead of missing the next day from work. In I arrive and lo-and-behold who is one of the doctors on call? none other than my own GP - who had cancelled HIS evening surgery so he could instead work for D-doc. That in itself tells you that it is more lucrative for them to work for d-doc than it is to run their own surgery.

I can tell you from personal experience you get more opening yourself !
Part of the deal with D -Doc is that you have to do a certain number of shifts in order for them to cover your practice.
The rate they are paid is generous but has been slashed by approx 30% over the past 2 1/2 years. (It is about 60-70% of the rate GP's earn in their own practice).
FTR the company behind D-Doc made a loss last year due to HSE cut backs (its a matter of public record as it's a limited company who publish accounts)
The receptionists are employed directly by the HSE and their pay and work load particularly are a bone of contention.....

RobFowl

Little Ted wrote: »

No one expects them to work a 168 hour week.

Would you believe the HSE contract for GP's insists on this ! Co-Ops are the ways GP's get around it....

tatli_lokma

exactly why it would be more cost effective to run it on a rota basis - would avoid using the HSE staff on reception.

The salary they get for D-doc, despite being 60% of the rate they would earn in their own practice, is exactly what they get. If they were to open their own place, they would incurr running costs in addition to their own salaries.

I still think it is bad form that a GP cancels a clinic in his own practice, for his own patients and then goes and works in D-doc. They took my appointment and then cancelled it. In doing so, I had to use the services of D-doc, which is not as cost effective to the HSE as if I had gone to my own GP. It is just bad management all round.

RobFowl

Little Ted wrote: »

exactly why it would be more cost effective to run it on a rota basis - would avoid using the HSE staff on reception.

The salary they get for D-doc, despite being 60% of the rate they would earn in their own practice, is exactly what they get. If they were to open their own place, they would incurr running costs in addition to their own salaries.

I still think it is bad form that a GP cancels a clinic in his own practice, for his own patients and then goes and works in D-doc. They took my appointment and then cancelled it. In doing so, I had to use the services of D-doc, which is not as cost effective to the HSE as if I had gone to my own GP. It is just bad management all round.

I take that point entirety.

Just can tell you it wasn't for financial benefit, might have been because they has fulfill a certain number of D-Doc shifts (if you don't do your quota D-Doc will stop covering your practice).
It used to run on a rota basis but this stopped as HSE policy now requires co-cops to be in place and that GP's use them. ALso quality control tends to be better.

tatli_lokma

Oh I believe you when you tell me the reasoning - but in a clinic with several doctors I just find it laughable that they cancel their own appointments and evening clinics to sit in a D-doc clinic. My sister was looking for an appointment once and couldn't get an out of hours one - the receptionist even suggested to her to go to Swords on Saturday as doctor X was sitting there on that day so she could see him that way. It's a bit of a farce really. Also from experience, when d-doc have to send someone out to the house, 9 times out of 10, if the person has chronic illnesses or a complicated history, they tend to instruct them to go to A&E because they simply don't know the history of the patient. I have experienced this several times to my exasperation when my dad gets sick. If a doctor from his own clinic was prepared to make a house call, then several times he could have avoided an unnecessary visit to A&E. But when a doctor tells you to ring an ambulance, eventhough your head is telling you there is no need, you always have that nagging doubt that maybe this time they are right.

Its an upside down system all round, and that's for sure.

RobFowl

Little Ted wrote: »

Oh I believe you when you tell me the reasoning - but in a clinic with several doctors I just find it laughable that they cancel their own appointments and evening clinics to sit in a D-doc clinic. My sister was looking for an appointment once and couldn't get an out of hours one - the receptionist even suggested to her to go to Swords on Saturday as doctor X was sitting there on that day so she could see him that way. It's a bit of a farce really. Also from experience, when d-doc have to send someone out to the house, 9 times out of 10, if the person has chronic illnesses or a complicated history, they tend to instruct them to go to A&E because they simply don't know the history of the patient. I have experienced this several times to my exasperation when my dad gets sick. If a doctor from his own clinic was prepared to make a house call, then several times he could have avoided an unnecessary visit to A&E. But when a doctor tells you to ring an ambulance, eventhough your head is telling you there is no need, you always have that nagging doubt that maybe this time they are right.

Its an upside down system all round, and that's for sure.

That comment is entirely correct and is something the medical management of D-Doc are aware of and have tried various startegies to improve. feedback form the ambulance services tends to support your comments completely as well.

Possibly Little Ted if you feel this is worth continuing to discuss it may be better to ask the mods here to move it to health sciences? (only if you agree and would be willing to discuss it there, you have some very pertinent/relevent comments tbh)

Dizzyblonde

RobFowl wrote: »

Possibly Little Ted if you feel this is worth continuing to discuss it may be better to ask the mods here to move it to health sciences? (only if you agree and would be willing to discuss it there, you have some very pertinent/relevent comments tbh)

I won't move this thread since the OP's question was specifically about GPs in Dublin County North, but I do agree that it's led to a discussion best suited to Health Sciences if anyone wants to start a new thread on the subject there.