Currently in Ireland, people have a range of options to access publicly-funded healthcare, including: 

• through their general practitioner (GP) during office hours or ringing GP services out-of-hours
• self-presenting at a Local Injury Unit (LIU)
• self-presenting at an emergency department (ED)
• ringing 112/999 to access emergency ambulance services. 

When primary care services and LIUs cannot be accessed, people with acute, non-urgent medical care needs who are unwilling or unable to wait, must either self-present to a hospital ED or call the emergency services contact number to be attended by emergency ambulance personnel in order to access healthcare. This has contributed to an increased burden on emergency services and EDs. The Health Service Executive (HSE) requested that HIQA complete a health technology assessment (HTA) of an alternative telephone pathway for acute, non-urgent care needs in the pre-hospital setting. The protocol document outlines the evidence synthesis approach that HIQA’s evaluation team will use to complete this piece of work.