'Cuts will have minimal impact'

The Sentinel recently highlighted how an internal memo sent to Western Urgent Care (WUC) staff on March 3, revealed that cover for the "Redeye" period, from 12 midnight to 8.30am each morning, will consist of just three doctors for the whole Western area.

But Mr McGimpsey insisted the changes will have little impact on patients in terms of access. He also advised it was not envisaged the changes will have any effect on emergency call-outs for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

DUP East Londonderry MLA George Robinson recently described the changes as a 40 per cent cut in an emergency service for all the community. Mr McGimpsey denies this is the case.

He said: "It is unbelievable that Western Trust area will have to cope from July 1st this year, with only three doctors on duty from Limavady to Enniskillen."

Now in a written question put to the Health Minister at the Stormont Assembly he asked if the reduction in the Out-of-Hours services would have an effect on mortality rates.

Mr McGimpsey responded: "I am advised that the proposed operational changes will have minimal impact for patients in terms of access to the out of hours service. Patients will continue to be seen within the timescales as set out in the Northern Ireland Quality Standards.

In response to a further query he said he did not believe ambulance call outs would be affected and said the Western Trust has advised that projected savings from this proposal will be 500,000 in the 2010/11 year with equivalent full year savings of 600,000 thereafter.

Said the Minister: "It is the Trust's expectation that patients will continue to be seen within the timescales set out in the NI Quality Standards. For urgent face to face consultations, this is within one hour, with less urgent being within two hours and routine being within six hours of initial triage."

Mr Robinson also asked for the Minister's assessment of the impact on patient recovery of a minimum twenty minute waiting time under the Out-of-Hours service for a doctor to attend an emergency call-out in Limavady.

He replied: "All Out of Hours service providers in Northern Ireland are required to provide the service within the context of the regionally agreed access target framework.

"Whether applied in Limavady, or any other part of Northern Ireland, the access targets help underpin a safe, appropriately responsive and quality service being provided to patients. The response is based appropriately on patient need, and the degree of urgency."

The Minister also denied Mr Robinson's claim that the service is being cut by 40 per cent.

He stated: "The Out-of Hours services provided by Western Urgent Care are not being cut by 40 per cent. There is a proposal to reduce the number of GPs from 5 to 3 GPs between midnight and 8.30am. However, a further 3 GPs will be on-call and a nurse will be employed to triage the calls during this period."

He also revealed that no other Out-of-Hour service provider in Northern Ireland is to reduce the level of service it provides.