A new extended hours GP service has opened its doors in Galway, offering patients access to doctors seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The walk-in clinic at Urban Wellbeing on the Tuam Road is the first of its kind in Galway and will offer patients all GP services from 10am to 9pm every day (closed 3pm-4pm for lunch ), including bank holidays and Christmas.
A consultation with a doctor at HR Clinic is just €40 and patients do not need an appointment to be seen.
Dr Hafiz Ali and Dr Rashid Abdul, who used work in the injury unit at Ennis General Hospital with years of GP experience, together with Dr Karl Casey, are offering a full range of GP services such as repeat prescriptions, minor surgery, blood tests, referrals to A&E, and referrals for X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans, along with dressings, nebulising, ear syringe, and family planning.
Dr Hafiz told the Galway Advertiser that his experience of seeing patients at the hospital who could not get an appointment with their own GP led him to open the private clinic with his colleagues. The clinic opened on October 1 in Galway and the doctors at the walk-in medical centre said there has already been a positive uptake on the new service for the area. HR Clinic Ennis, which opened in 2017, is already a success in Co Clare.
“We have every day at least three or four patients that we cannot see [at the hospital injury unit] because it is only for treating injuries,” he said. “So they come here with a sore throat or a cough, and they try to get to their GP and it is fully booked, so there is nowhere else to go apart from emergency department or out of hours service."
Some of the more common illnesses or services the clinic can provide for include:
General medical conditions including common cold/influenza, sore throat/ tonsillitis, sinusitis/ laryngitis/ pharyngitis, respiratory tract infections, ear discharge/infection/ear syringe, vertigo, headache/migraine, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain/ gastritis/heartburn, urinary tract infections, and back pain.
Minor/ musculoskeletal injuries (cuts, sprains, wounds, burns ).
Skin conditions (rashes, acne, eczema, dermatitis, allergic, cellulitis ).
Eye conditions (conjunctivitis, stye, red eye, itchy eyes ).
Women's health.
Men's health.
General repeat prescriptions.
Contraception prescriptions.
Referrals (ED, private hospital, MRI, Xrays ) and forms (driving licence, competitions, general medical ).
Blood tests.
Travel vaccinations.
Consultation fee is €40 per visit. For more information call 087 6077679 or find HR Clinic Galway on Facebook.
