The NEDOC service is here to manage your urgent care, when your own GP surgery is closed, and your condition cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
NEDOC has been operating for 24 years and has seen a year on year increase in the number of GP consultations each year, and the volume of routine and non-urgent cases has risen also.
Patients who are experiencing ongoing or repetitive symptoms should make an appointment to see their own GP who will be able to assess the progress of symptoms and refer a patient onwards if that is required. GPs in NEDOC cannot refer patients for blood tests or to hospital specialists, nor can a GP in NEDOC provide a Social Welfare sick certificate – which can only be provided by a patients’ own GP surgery.
In recent years the service has seen a marked increase in the number of dental presentations. Patients who are experiencing ongoing dental pain are urged to make an appointment with their dentist who is trained in dental medicine and can out-rule or manage dental abscesses or other dental pain. The vast majority of dentists now open in the evening and on weekend mornings to accommodate their patients who require out of hours dental support.
To ensure GPs working in NEDOC are available for patients who urgently need care, routine or convenience medical cases should be managed by a patients’ own GP.
