GPs worried about roles in HSE SOPs

GPs in the mid-west are worried they are not trained or insured to carry out roles attributed to them in emergencies and specified in HSE Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
IMO GP Committee member, Dr Mary Gray, who is based in Limerick said all GPs were sent a copy of SOPs for the region in July.

“The concern is about references to GPs in the SOPs. GPs were not involved in drafting them and they relate to HSE staff,” said Dr Gray. An SOP for obstetric emergencies, such as a breech birth or prolapsed cord, states that if a baby has to be delivered or is in acute danger, a GP should be called if an advanced paramedic is not available.
Another for paediatric emergencies states a GP or ShannonDoc should be contacted for backup if an advanced paramedic is not available.
It also says if a GP is at the scene, he or she must travel in the ambulance if they think the child should be transported to a hospital without an ‘on-site specialist paediatric service’.
“No GP in the country is insured to do that. Overall, the emergency services in the region are undermanned. That is something GPs in the area have been drawing attention to for some time. The concern is they will not be able to cope. As a result GPs not trained or insured would have to cope with situations they are not able to. We need to clarify the role of GPs in emergency situations,” she said.
The situation had been exacerbated by the closure of Emergency Departments (EDs) in Ennis General Hospital and Nenagh General Hospital, she added.
Chair of the Clare branch of the Irish College of General Practitioners, Dr Michael Harty, said since the reconfiguration in the mid-west there was an additional workload falling on out-of-hours GP services.
“GPs are being landed with inappropriate, time-consuming work such as attending the scene of road traffic accidents and other traumas,” he said.
A meeting scheduled to take place recently between GP representatives, ShannonDoc and the HSE was postponed. Dr Gray said this meeting needed to take place to clarify the HSE’s understanding of GPs’ roles in emergencies. Furthermore, it was unclear if changes had recently been made to SOPs, she added.
IMO GP leader Dr Ronan Boland said the Transformation Programme was ongoing and all stakeholders must be engaged. “I hope the HSE learns from mistakes in one area and does not transfer them to another,” he said.