MIDOC move to hospital 'won't affect' emergency department

The HSE has confirmed that the MIDOC service is to move in September from its present base at the Lough Sheever Business Park to Mullingar hospital.However, according to the Irish Medical Times, the agreement of local GPs to the move came only after a written undertaking from the HSE that the move would not lead to any downgrading of the hospital's emergency department night time services.MIDOC is the out-of-hours emergency GP service for the midland region, operating 6pm to 8am Monday to Friday, and on a 24-hour basis on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.The HSE said this week that the rationale behind the move was that it would minimise the HSE's use of rental properties, "and to benefit from economies of scale by the co-locating on the hospital site."In advance of the move, "minor capital works" will be required, and the HSE said that funding for this is being considered in the context of the 2013 budgetary allocations.A HSE spokesperson said this week: "There is no threat to A&E", and she reiterated the point that the aim was to reduce the costs currently going in rent, and to have the benefit of a co-location arrangement.According to the Irish Medical Times, the HSE is aiming to locate the Midoc service in the current outpatients department. By day, the department would continue in use as an outpatients department, while in the evenings, the Midoc service will kick in.