Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 May 2004
42 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress on the mapping exercise to plan primary care teams; if he has allocated funding for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15446/04]
View answerIn October 2003, my Department requested the health boards to undertake an exercise to map out the locations for future primary care teams and networks within their respective regions, according to the service model described in the strategy Primary Care: A New Direction. The exercise was to involve an examination of service needs, demographic and other relevant data. The need for consultation with the relevant stakeholders who will work in the primary care teams and the communities to be served by the teams and networks was emphasised. The mapping exercise was intended to enable a plan outlining the priority areas for the implementation of the new primary care model to be drawn up.
In 2003, I provided funding totalling €0.975 million to the health boards to facilitate the undertaking of the mapping exercise described and to support the development of initiatives to give effect to the multi-disciplinary team working concept on a more widespread basis in primary care. I am informed by the health boards that work on the mapping exercise is under way at present and the current position on the mapping exercise in each health board is as follows. The Western Health Board has engaged an external researcher to conduct the necessary research for the exercise. The board has consulted internally and consultation with the general practitioners is planned over the coming weeks. The Southern Health Board is taking a phased approach to the mapping exercise, involving information gathering, consultation with relevant stakeholders and the development of a baseline map of services. The board is currently collating the information with a view to identifying the number and location of primary care teams and networks, which will then be developed into an implementation plan for the Southern Health Board.
The South Eastern Health Board is currently examining ways in which the mapping exercise can be completed by the end of the year and is considering engaging an external agency to progress the project. The North Eastern Health Board is currently compiling the information that will be used in determining the locations of the primary care teams and networks. The exercise includes examination of demography, morbidity and mortality and the distribution of various services and staff in the region. Once this element is complete the board intends to proceed with the consultation process. The Mid-Western Health Board expects to be in a position to make a submission to my Department shortly which will set out the rationale for the development of future primary care teams and networks in the region.
The North Western Health Board has established the needs of the population to be served by the primary care teams and networks based on a population health approach. Initial consideration has been given to the configuration of teams and networks in the region and the board envisages that 32 primary care teams, comprising 12 primary care networks, will be required to serve the population. A representative group from the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the three area health boards are working together to address the development of a plan that will facilitate the identification of locations for the roll out of primary care teams and networks within the region. The work is being undertaken in three phases: mapping and profiling; local consultation; final report with proposed new boundaries for primary care networks. Phase one is now complete and the area health boards have commenced the local consultation process.
The Midland Health Board has conducted a broad based needs assessment examining areas such as epidemiology of the population, services provided at present, number of general practitioners, the level of computerisation in general practice and disability services. A more detailed assessment to identify locations for new primary care teams is currently underway. Specific work has also been initiated in the East Coast Area Health Board and the Mid-Western Health Board, as the two phase 1 regions for the implementation of Hanly report, to determine the primary care developments that will be required to support the reconfiguration of the hospital services in these regions.
