A new urgent out-of-hours doctors service is being launched in the capital to ease the pressure on hospitals' A&E wards, it was confirmed today.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) and North Dublin GPs said D-Doc, an urgent GP service, will begin on a phased basis from November 28.
The service will provide out of hours family doctor services to around 500,000 people living in north Dublin.
Professor Brendan Drumm, chief executive of the HSE, said the service will cover the whole of north Dublin city and county from December 12.
"D-Doc is about improved accessibility to GP care in the evenings and at weekends for people in the North Dublin community. It will significantly benefit the half million people who live in the region who will now be able to avail of urgent out-of-hours GP services," he said.
"I believe that today's announcement reflects a good example of partnership between the HSE and GPs where patients clearly benefit. I would like to thank all the Northside GPs involved in setting up this service for all their hard work and commitment."
The service will begin from November 28 in the Dublin 15 area with a treatment centre based in Hartstown. On December 5, the service will be extended to cover north county Dublin and the north inner city with centres at Swords and North Strand.