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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 3

Written Answers. - Primary Care Services.

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

504 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the task force on primary care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25572/03]

Following the launch of the policy document, Primary Care – A New Direction, I established a small multidisciplinary primary care task force. The task force is based in my Department, and is comprised of officials from my Department and representatives of the health boards.

The task force has a remit to drive the implementation of the necessary changes and developments in primary care in accordance with the 20 point implementation plan contained in the strategy. This implementation plan sets out an incremental approach to implementation that recognises the breadth of the change that is required in order to support the roll out of the new model of primary care over the next decade.

Since its establishment, the task force has taken a number of significant steps towards the implementation of the strategy.

In October 2002 I gave approval to the establishment of ten primary care implementation projects – one in each health board area. These projects are building on the services and resources already in place in the locations involved so as to develop a primary care team in line with the multidisciplinary model described in the strategy. To date I have committed a total of €8.4 million to these projects over 2002 and 2003.

Projects are currently at different stages of development, with a number already providing new or enhanced primary care services to their target populations. Even at this early stage, some of the benefits which were anticipated for both service users and providers are, I understand, becoming evident in these cases.

In November 2002 I provided funding of €360,000 for the Health Research Board for the establishment of three research fellowships in primary care. The fellowships, which will be available to the professions who will work in the new primary care teams, will enable the researchers to work on topics relevant to the implementation of the primary care strategy. In addition, my Department has also agreed to make funding of €750,000 available over a three year period to the university departments of general practice to support specific activity in support of the implementation of the primary care strategy. Funding is also being provided to enable a research development officer to be appointed in the Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, for a three year period.
The primary care strategy also identified that a significant component of the development of primary care teams, in the short to medium term, would involve the reorientation of existing staff and resources. To this end, my Department has asked the health boards to examine how the existing primary-community care resources can best be reorganised, to develop practical ways of giving effect to the multidisciplinary teamworking concept, as described in the strategy, on a wider basis and to map out the geographical areas to be served by primary care teams in the future. Resources totalling €1.7 million have been provided for these purposes in the current year.
One of the principal objectives of the plans for the modernisation of our health service structures which I have recently announced is that the system should be structured to enable the health strategy, including the primary care strategy, to be delivered. As part of the reform plans, therefore, the system for the planning and delivery of primary care services, at national, regional and local level, will be reorganised in line with the vision contained in the primary care strategy. The primary care task force will contribute to the work of developing the new structures, in partnership with the wide range of stakeholders concerned with primary care services.
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