Contacting NEDOC

When you ring 1850 777 911 a trained receptionist will take your personal details including your name, address and date of birth, your telephone number, the symptoms of illness/complaint, the name of your own GP’s and medical card details if applicable. No call will be passed onto the GP without this information.  Receptionists are trained to identify urgent calls and refer them quickly to the doctor.

This information will be given to the doctor who will return your call promptly. You should keep the contact phone number free so the doctor can get through to you.  If there is a delay in getting back to you this may be due to the high number of calls to the service.  Please be patient if this is the case.

If the patient gets worse before NEDOC calls back it is very important that you phone back and let us know.  All urgent calls receive priority.

NEDOC doctors do not have access to your medical records from your own surgery.  Therefore they will have to ask questions about the current situation and possibly may need to ask about your medical history.

The doctor will discuss with you the best course of action which may be

NEDOC doctors cannot issue prescriptions over the phone.  If you require a prescription you will have to attend a treatment centre.

NEDOC is not a walk-in service.  You must first ring 1850 777 911 in order to talk to a doctor and confirm if you need an appointment.  If you have not first contacted 1850 777 911, you will be told to do so and will not be seen until you do.  Patients who have contacted the service and who have received an appointment to attend a treatment centre will take priority.

Abusive language and behaviour to members of staff, doctors, nurses etc is not acceptable. Patients who are consistently abusive or threatening to members of staff and/or doctors in the centres or on the phones may be prevented from using the service in the future.

Telephone Advice (Triage)

You can ring NEDOC on 1850 777 911 if you want to receive advice from the on-duty doctor.  You may not wish to see a doctor, nor may you need to see a doctor.  Contacting the on-duty doctor may be all you need to satisfy yourself that you are managing your medical situation correctly.

On contacting NEDOC and discussing the medical issue, you may not need to attend a centre.  However in some instances the doctor may advise that you do come into a centre.

Details of your phone consultation are automatically forwarded to your own doctor before their surgery opens.

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Appointment at a Treatment Centre

Following your call to the service, if the doctor considers that you, or your family member, needs to be seen, he will advise you to attend your nearest centre.  The on-duty doctor will ask if you have a medical card, and if so to bring it with you.  If you do not have a medical card, the on-duty doctor will advise you of the consultation fee so you are aware of this from an early stage.

The on-duty doctor will forward the details of his phone consultation with you to the treatment centre so your arrival will be expected.  When you arrive your details will be checked and the doctor on duty will see you as quickly as possible.  Please be patient if there is a large queue.

Children with temperatures and the usual common childhood illnesses are best seen by a doctor in a well-equipped centre.  Please respect the decision of the doctor on this matter.

Details of your consultation are automatically forwarded to your own doctor before their surgery opens.

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Home Visits

Home visits are for terminally ill, bed bound patients and those who cannot travel, as it would cause pain or worsen their condition.  A doctor may visit a seriously ill patient for other reasons such as heart attack, severe shortness of breath or serious bleeding and will make that decision during the phone consultation.

If a home visit is necessary, specially equipped vehicles with experienced drivers are on hand to support the doctors on call.

North East Doctor on Call is not an “On-call” service to provide home visits on request. Details of your consultation are automatically forwarded to your own doctor before their surgery opens.

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