An new out-of-hours GP service designed to ease pressure on overcrowded hospitals in north Dublin was launched today.
The D-DOC call centre will provide medical advice from nurses and doctors over the phone for around half a million people in the area.
Run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and local GPs, it aims to keep non-urgent patients out of congested A&E units in the Mater and Beaumont hospitals.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern launched the service at the Ballymun Civic Centre.
"The establishment of D-DOC provides not only a welcome alternative to long trips to an acute hospital, but also offers a very efficient and effective urgent care service," he said.
"This comprehensive service offers great reassurance to the half a million people of north Dublin who will be able to use it," he added.
Phone lines will be open on weekdays from 6pm to 8am, and 24 hours a day at weekends. If a person urgently needs to see a doctor outside normal surgery hours, they should contact D-DOC on 1850 22 44 77.
Calls will be answered by trained staff who will take details of the illness and personal information. They can then arrange for the person to be seen by a GP at a treatment centre, or offer advice over the phone from a nurse.
Five treatment centres have been set up in Hartstown, Swords, North Strand, Ballymun and Coolock. GPs have also agreed to do house calls but only in extreme cases.
HSE chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm said the service would help counter the over reliance of community health services on hospitals.
"The HSE is setting out to address that imbalance and new services such as this are practical examples of our commitment," Prof Drumm said.