“NEDOC - North East Doctors on Call - has stood the test of time, and perhaps the true testament to its success is the volume of calls we receive – we had over 93,000 contacting us in 2024 compared to 54,000 in our first year,” according to Arlene Fitzsimons, Director of Operations for NEDOC, speaking as they celebrated 25 years in operation in recent weeks. Addressing a gathering that included nurses, drivers, call centre staff, GPs and nurse triage staff who have worked together over the years to provide this service, Arlene explained how, when originally established, NEDOC represented a “huge innovation in General Practice.”
“The service continues to be delivered by a team of GPs in daytime practice, locum doctors, nurses, drivers, receptionists and call centre staff. We are delighted to be here 25 years on and, with some changes to our building infrastructure to improve our centres, hopefully we will move into the planned regional Primary Care Centres in due course.”
Reflecting on the innovation involved, Dr Larry McEntee, NEDOC past Chairman, now retired, described it as “a leap of faith for all those involved. It was a major departure for GPs to work together in this kind of collaborative environment, and some were very reluctant to get involved believing it wouldn’t work for patients. But within a very short time we could see the success it would be as patients quickly adapted to contacting NEDOC instead of their own surgery. From a GP perspective, it was a game changer in creating a work-life balance previously un-thought of. It was far the greatest achievement of the then GP Unit, established under the 1993 GMS contract.”
NEDOC currently operate 4 treatment centres in Drogheda, Cavan Town, Castleblayney and Navan, with a call centre based in Ardee. They offer urgent out of hours care to patients, either by phone or in person at one of the treatment centres or at home for those who are unable or too ill to attend the centre.
In his remarks to the gathering, Patrick Clerkin, HSE Integrated Healthcare Manager for Louth Meath noted how “NEDOC stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when the HSE and service providers work together with a shared purpose — to deliver high-quality, patient-focused care to the people of the North East and beyond.”