The Minister for Health Dr James Reilly today (Friday 15th November 2013) officially opened the new Inchicore Primary Care Centre located on the site of the former St Michael’s CBS in St Michael’s Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8. The Inchicore Primary Care Centre is one of the first projects to be completed as part of the wider regeneration of St. Michael’s Estate undertaken by Dublin City Council.
Speaking at the opening Minister Reilly said, “I am delighted to be here today to officially open the Inchicore Primary Care Centre. The development of primary care services is an essential component of the health service reform process – Future Health - which I have embarked on since coming into office. The ultimate goal of the reforms in Future Health is to put in place a system of universal health insurance (UHI), to tackle the core and fundamental inequity in the Irish healthcare system. Primary care services are an essential building block towards UHI.”
“The key objective of the Primary Care Strategy is to develop services in the community which will give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others. In a developed primary care system, up to 95 per cent of people’s day-to-day health and social care needs can be met in the primary care setting thereby avoiding the need for them to go to hospital. This centre that we are officially opening here is adding greatly to the lives of the residents of Inchicore and Bluebell by providing access to quality, multidisciplinary healthcare resulting in better health outcomes for themselves, their children and their children’s children.”
The Inchicore Primary Care Centre accommodates GP services, dental services, community nursing services, physiotherapy and occupational therapy services, mental health services, and counselling services. It is one of 34 Primary Care Centres opened since March 2011 in line with the Programme for Government.
The Inchicore centre is adjacent to a new HSE Community Nursing Unit which will be operated under a HSE licensing arrangement by St. James’s Hospital. This has the potential to facilitate access to a broad range of the services provided by St James’s Hospital to older persons directly in their community.
Continuing Minister Reilly said, “I want to congratulate the HSE and the Inchicore Primary Care Team who worked in partnership with Dublin City Council to bring this wonderful project to completion. It is a fine example of what can be achieved through joined up thinking and working together for the good of the local community. It especially pleases me as Minister for Health to see such cooperation in action which will yield so much health benefit, for this community for many a year to come.”
Ends
Notes for Editors
· Future Health - A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 – 2015 can be downloaded at http://www.dohc.ie/publications/pdf/Future_Health.pdf?direct=1
· Primary Care Strategy
The development of primary care services is an essential component of the health service reform process. In a developed primary care system, up to 95 per cent of people’s day-to-day health and social care needs can be met in the primary care setting.
The key objective of the Primary Care Strategy is to develop services in the community which will give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others.
· Primary Care Infrastructure
Considerable progress has been made in the delivery of Primary Care Centres (PCCs) and 34 centres have opened since March 2011.
There are currently 100 locations with appropriate accommodation to support primary care teams.
Since 2012, primary care infrastructure has been approved and is underway at 15 locations through refurbishment, extension of suitable properties or through new build. Construction is underway at 6 locations and planning permission has been granted at an additional 22 locations under the 'operational lease' mechanism.
The HSE is working with the National Development Finance Agency to progress the PCC Public Private Partnership programme. Planning applications for the 16 PCC sites have been lodged recently or will be shortly.