Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004
177 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to upgrading of services available through health centres thereby eliminating some of the overcrowding at accident and emergency services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26626/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary care strategy, Primary Care: A New Direction, aims to shift the emphasis from the current over-reliance on acute hospital services to one where patients will be able to access an integrated multi-disciplinary team of general practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, home helps, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and social workers in their local community.
The introduction of the team based model of service delivery has the potential to meet 90-95% of all health and personal social service needs in the primary care setting. As the primary care teams are developed, a wider primary care network of other professionals, including speech and language therapists, community pharmacists, dieticians, dentists, chiropodists and psychologists will also provide services for the population served by each primary care team.
Primary care planned and organised on this basis, can lessen the current reliance on specialist services and the hospital system, particularly accident and emergency and out-patient services. Based on available evidence, it has the potential to reduce the requirement for specialist services, reduce hospitalisation rates, reduce lengths of stay for those who are hospitalised and improve efficiency.
The strategy also envisages the development of extended-hours and out-of-hours cover for defined primary care services. The management of this wide range of care within the primary care setting represents the most appropriate, effective and user-friendly approach to the organisation of service delivery. Clearly, a significant element in the development of future primary care teams must involve the reorientation of the substantial staff and physical resources currently within the primary care setting. The health boards are currently working to map the general configuration of future teams and networks and to develop team working and collaborative working in the existing primary care services. The mapping exercise involves an examination of service needs, demographic and other relevant data to ensure that primary care services are organised and developed on the basis of identified need.
The strategy recognises that the provision of modern, well-equipped, accessible premises will be central to the effective functioning of the primary care team. It emphasises the need to gain full benefit from existing buildings and to fully exploit any opportunities for public-private partnerships in implementing the development programme. I intend to develop policy in such a way as to encourage innovative approaches that have the potential to result in the provision where appropriate, of modern, well-equipped, user-friendly buildings to support the development and operation of primary care teams and networks.
