Changes 'not an improvement'

Comment in response to SHSCT press release sent to press.

The person writing this press release must have escaped from George Orwell's infamous, "Ministry of Truth".

Closing the Craigavon base overnight and trying to manage the entire Southern Trust area of 324,000 people and growing will have a very negative effect on those who have the misfortune to need a GP between midnight and eight in the morning.

If they live in Craigavon they will be worse affected. Those who need to be seen will clearly have to wait longer and will have an uncertain service.

Those living in the broader Dungannon and Newry areas will frequently have longer to wait while their local out of hours doctor tours the province.

This does not amount to improvement. Unless you mean improved cost reductions.

However, other proposals will mean improvement. More doctors at weekends nurse triage. The service has been very stretched at times with triage delays reaching six hours and extremes, and reaching four hours too often. The triage target time is one hour, and changes needed to be made to meet demand.