Getting seen has got harder, but you have more routes than you might think. This is a neutral map of all of them — pharmacy, online doctor, GP, out-of-hours, urgent care, and A&E — with the plain answer to "which one should I use right now?"
| Your situation | Best first stop |
|---|---|
| A common condition like hay fever, a cold sore, thrush, conjunctivitis, shingles or a UTI | Your pharmacy — often same day, no GP needed |
| A repeat prescription or a routine, minor issue | Online doctor or your pharmacy |
| You need a GP but can't get an appointment | Online doctor; register with a GP via HSE Find a GP |
| Urgent but not an emergency, in the evening or at the weekend | Out-of-hours GP co-op (Caredoc, D-Doc, NEDOC, Shannondoc, Westdoc, etc.) |
| A cut, sprain, suspected minor fracture or burn | A local injury unit / minor injury unit — usually faster than A&E |
| Chest pain, stroke signs, severe bleeding, breathing difficulty, severe injury | Emergency — call 999 or 112, or go to A&E |
Since 2026, trained pharmacists can treat eight common conditions directly under the Common Conditions Service, including supplying or prescribing where appropriate — no GP appointment, no referral, usually same day. For the right problem it's now the quickest route in Irish healthcare. Pharmacies are also the place for advice on over-the-counter treatment and for managing repeat medicines.
Online GP services handle routine consultations, repeat prescriptions, minor ailments and sick notes by video or questionnaire, often within hours and outside normal surgery times. They don't replace a GP for anything needing a physical exam or ongoing chronic-condition care. Our neutral operator overview lists who's who and what they charge — Irish operators sit roughly €25–€55. (We earn nothing from, and have no relationship with, any operator listed.)
A registered GP remains the right home for ongoing care, anything needing examination, vaccinations, and complex problems. The difficulty is access: the country is short of roughly 1,500 GPs and many practices have closed their lists or run multi-week waits. If you hold a medical card or GP visit card, GP care is free. The structural picture is on our GP shortage briefing.
When your own surgery is closed, regional out-of-hours co-operatives provide GP cover by phone and at treatment centres. Which one covers you depends on where you live — Caredoc, D-Doc (Dublin), NEDOC (north-east), Shannondoc (mid-west), Westdoc (west) and others. Expect a fee unless you hold a medical card.
Local injury units (also called minor injury units) treat broken bones, sprains, minor burns, wounds and similar — usually with far shorter waits and lower cost than an Emergency Department. They're the right call for an injury that needs attention but isn't life-threatening.
Emergency Departments are for serious, life-threatening problems: chest pain, signs of stroke, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, major injury. For these, call 999 or 112 or go straight to A&E. Using the right lower-tier route for everything else keeps A&E free for the people who genuinely need it.
| Route | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy (covered condition) | Varies; can be free under medical card |
| Online doctor | ~€25–€55 per consultation |
| Private GP visit | ~€60–€90 |
| GP with medical card / GP visit card | Free |
| Out-of-hours co-op | Fee unless medical card holder |
| Injury unit | Standard public charge may apply (waived for medical card holders / on referral) |
Indicative figures for 2026; confirm with the provider. Whether you qualify for a medical card or GP visit card changes most of these — that's worth checking on the HSE / Citizens Information sites or at hse.ie.
Pharmacy First — what your pharmacist can treat without a GP →
Irish online doctor services — who they are, what they cost →
The GP shortage in Ireland — why this got harder →