![\"Castletroy](\"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Castletroy-Park-Medical-Centre-courtesy-of-midwestphysio.ie_-570x427.jpg\")
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By Tom\u00e1s Heneghan<\/p>\n
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University of Limerick students will no longer be able to consult a doctor for most issues at the on-campus Student Health Centre (SHC) and it is now expected students will pay \u20ac40 for a consultation with a doctor off-campus.<\/p>\n
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Rather than seeing a doctor at the SHC, students will now be directed to the Castletroy Park Medical Centre (CPMC) if they require medical attention from a doctor for services except psychiatry and physiotherapy.<\/p>\n
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According to Bernadette Walsh, Director of Student Affairs a \u201climited number of doctor sessions\u201d will continue to be available in the SHC, including the STI and Contraceptive Clinics.<\/p>\n
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The changes were made known two weeks ago in an email sent by Dr. Walsh to a limited number of staff.<\/p>\n
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President of UL Students\u2019 Union, Colin Clarke said the new interim system displays to students that their welfare is not as important as academic research funding. He also said it shows a complete lack of concern for students, for students\u2019 welfare and their needs.<\/p>\n
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Mr. Clarke added: \u201cIt\u2019s completely unacceptable to think that in this day and age for 13,500 students that there wont be one medical doctor there.<\/p>\n
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\u201cNot only does this bring into question where we\u2019re moving forward as a university, it brings into question what are students going to do when they apply for I-grades and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Under the new system students visiting or phoning the SHC will be directed to the nurse\u00a0in the centre who will assess students.<\/p>\n
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If, in the nurse\u2019s \u201cprofessional opinion\u201d, students require the services of a doctor, the nurse will advise the students and reception of this. Students will then be informed by reception where to make their appointment with a doctor at the CPMC.<\/p>\n
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Students will be charged for the consultation with the CPMC doctor and may then seek partial refund from the SHC so that they only incur the previous \u20ac25 cost.<\/p>\n
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Mr. Clarke told An Focal the cost would likely be \u20ac40 for a consultation and student may be forced to wait for five to six weeks before they receive the partial refund.<\/p>\n
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He also said there was \u201cabsolute uproar\u201d a number of years ago when fees for the SHC were discussed and introduced.<\/p>\n
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Mr. Clarke explained: \u201cNow although [the fees] were smaller than what you\u2019d pay for a normal GP service, it was still thought that this service should be free.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIn America, in a lot of the institutions, student welfare and all this is free. Now to go from a system three and half years ago where we had free doctors\u2019 visits to now go to a service where we have no doctor visits at all, its just completely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
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He added: \u201cWe will continue to fight to make sure this doesn\u2019t happen. The only reason that we found out about this was students coming straight to us and I then took it in turn to email Bernadette Walsh and within the hour then got an email sent to a lot of people, support staff as well, explaining this – that should never have happened. The reaction of Student Academic Administration and student support services is completely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In her email Dr. Walsh said: \u201cThe university is currently examining what is best practice in terms of providing\u00a0comprehensive student health and wellbeing services with a view to moving to a fit-for-purpose model of service provision in the near future.\u201d<\/p>\n