CONCERN has been raised about the high number of ambulances being dispatched for people after they contact NowDOC out of hours service, sparking fears the emergency service is being abused.
Figures show that over a three-year period, 10,228 NowDOC calls led to the dispatching of ambulances in Donegal.
Councillor Ciaran Brogan raised the issue at the latest meeting of the Regional Health Forum West in Galway on Tuesday. He sought an updated report of patient numbers visiting the out of hours service in the last three years in Donegal Integrated Healthcare Area (IHA).
He also asked if the data could separately identify how many times patients were referred to ambulance services as opposed to being seen by the doctor on call.
From January of this year to November 13, 2025, 51,899 patients contacted the GP out of hours service. Of those, 2,970 were connected to the ambulance service following nurse telephone advice, and a further 113 following telephone advice from a doctor.
In 2024, the figure was almost 13,000 higher as 64,442 patients contacted the GP out of hours service. Of those, 3,700 were connected to the ambulance service following nurse telephone advice, and a further 138 following telephone advice from a doctor.
2023 saw the largest number (66,322) of patients contact the out of hours service.
Of those, 3,588 were connected to the ambulance service following nurse telephone advice, and a further 144 following a talk to a doctor.
Responding to the figures, Cllr Brogan said: “I am concerned that far too often now when people are in contact it seems that an ambulance is being sent rather than NowDOC.”
Cllr Brogan said he worried that in such instances those who are in need of an ambulance most are not getting it, he said, when referencing an evident drop in the number of dispatches of a doctor on call from NoWDOC out to people’s houses. He asked for more engagement between GPs and out of hours.
The HSE’s Integrated Healthcare Area Manager for Donegal, Dermot Monaghan, admitted the figures do “prompt a conversation” and said “conversations” on the issue will be taking place.
Chief Ambulance Officer HSE, West, John Joe McGowan added that the NowDOC service has to be a “risk averse system”.
“If a person was to mention chest pain or shortness of breath, an ambulance has to be dispatched.
“We are hoping to bolster up the guidelines,” he said, adding that the NowDOC service will still have to remain risk averse.
