Vol. 536 No. 4
151 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the plans for the North-Western Health Board to establish a health centre on the outskirts of Sligo which will accommodate most of the general practitioners; if patients from Sligo have been consulted on the matter; if this development is in accordance with his Department's health strategy on community based care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14419/01]
The provision of health centres in Sligo is, in the first instance, a matter for the North-Western Health Board.
The centre referred to by the Deputy, which is currently under construction and will accommodate 11 general practitioners from three separate group practices, is within five minutes of the town centre and is served by an urban bus route. The North-Western Health Board has not carried out a public consultation of its own in respect of this centre but the general practitioners concerned have carried out consultation with their practice populations. The board continues to engage with the local community regarding the development of the Markievicz House site and recently hosted a very successful open day with the local community development organisation.
This development will provide for the development of general practice and primary care services for the Sligo urban area, approximately 30,000 persons, facilitating a wider range of services; improved collaboration-integration between general practitioners and the board's primary care staff, especially public health nurses, and in the development of significantly enhanced and modern state of the art premises. The new centre will have greatly improved access for persons with special needs and will have substantial on site car parking.
The board is also in discussions with all community pharmacists in the area with a view to introducing a innovative project of pharmaceutical support services, integrated with general practice services in the centre, electronically linked to the individual pharmacies and secondary care based pharmacy services.
