Inadequate offers scupper A&E relief scheme

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has ended the tender process for the out-of-hours General Practitioner service for north Dublin, claiming the service did not "meet the quality standards required" of it.

The plan was part of the Department of Health's 10-part restructuring process for Accident and Emergency units, and crucial to the alleviation of pressure from the Mater Hospital in particular.

It was claimed that the submissions received could not guarantee that patients would be "seen and treated by fully qualified General Practitioners".

However the HSE says it will "immediately engage directly in wider consultation with those groups who can supply out-of-hours GP services."

The HSE said it wanted to ensure there would be an evening service "fully equipped clinical centres, staffed by on-duty general practitioners, who will be supported by nurses, administrative staff and drivers."

The HSE added this type of service operates successfully all over the State and half of the population have access to this type of service.

Commenting on today's decision, Mr Tadhg O'Brien, assistant national director (Dublin North East) for primary community and continuing care services said: "This initiative is about improving the quality of GP care and services for people in the north Dublin community when GP surgeries are closed in the evenings and at weekends."

"It is essential that the service we ultimately put in place reaches all of the necessary quality standards. Unfortunately the proposals submitted did not meet a number of our critical quality criteria. The tender process is now finished and the HSE will immediately engage with those groups of GPs who are interested and capable of providing the service.

"It is expected that the Out of Hours GP service envisaged and being pursued will be in place in the coming months," he added.

However, the decision has met with sharp criticism from the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), whose GP committee chairman Dr Martin Daly told the Irish Medical Times: "There is grave disappointment among GPs in north Dublin who had committed to the process."