Around 1,400 people called SouthDoc for assistance on each of six days over the Christmas and New Year period - but the out-of-hours GP service was still quieter than expected.
That's according to director of the service in Kerry, Dr Garry Stack, who also reported that the number of total calls over the festive period was down by over four percent from last year.
The majority of those who called the service over Christmas were seen within four hours; a third of the cases dealt with were under 12 years old, and most patients were treated for respiratory problems.
December was again the busiest month of the year for the service, which covers Cork as well as Kerry; in total, 22, 329 calls were received.
Dr Stack says that while Christmas was quieter than usual, there may be a busy month ahead for GPs:
