Bernard Allen
Question:159 Mr. Allen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of primary care buildings funded by her to date under the primary care strategy. [29019/04]
View answerWednesday, 17 November 2004
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The primary care strategy, Primary Care, A New Direction, recognises that the provision of modern, well-equipped, accessible premises will be central to the effective functioning of the integrated multidisciplinary primary care team and network model as envisaged in the strategy. A range of different approaches to the financing and provision of these facilities will be explored in the course of implementing the new model of service provision.
Capital funding has been provided under the strategy to facilitate the provision of appropriate facilities for the initial ten primary care teams approved in October 2002. In 2004 capital funding of €450,000 has been provided to the Southern Health Board to enable the construction of a new primary care centre in Annascaul, County Kerry. Along with existing centres in Dingle and Castlegregory, this centre will be one of three premises delivering services as part of the west Kerry primary care team. The provision of a primary care centre in this instance is being financed jointly by the State and the general practitioner who will operate from the centre. The provision of the new centre will enable additional services to be delivered in a single centre and will assist in the delivery of integrated services to the population in this area.
Capital funding of €275,000 has been provided to the East Coast Area Health Board in 2004 for the provision of a new high specification modular unit adjacent to the health centre in Castle Park for the Arklow primary care team. The provision of this new unit will enable health board-employed members of the team to be based in a single centre. This will assist in the delivery of integrated services to the population in this area.
Further capital funding has been provided for premises renovation, refurbishment and equipping for the initial primary care teams. In 2002, minor capital funding totalling €2 million was provided across the ten locations for this purpose. This included renovation by the South Western Area Health Board of an existing building on the site of the Meath Hospital which now accommodates the Liberties primary care team.
One of the Government's key objectives is to facilitate and encourage the development, where appropriate, of modern, well-equipped, user-friendly buildings in which the broad range of primary care services can be delivered and to fully exploit any opportunities for public-private partnerships in implementing the development programme. I am committed to developing policy in such a way as to maximise the opportunities to attract private sector interests into the provision of facilities to support delivery of primary care service in accordance with the new interdisciplinary model.