Urgent call for primary care centres

A NORTHSIDE TD has called for primary care centres to be rolled out immediately to tackle the A&E overcrowding crisis.

Independent TD for Dublin Bay North, Terence Flanagan, raised the issue in the Dáil last week with Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch.

Deputy Flanagan said the key to reducing the number of patients waiting on trolleys was to roll out the centres as a matter of urgency.

“In my constituency two primary care centres have been earmarked for Coolock/Darndale and Edenmore,

? he told Northside People.

“I questioned Minister Lynch for further details regarding the completion of the centres and requested that they be completed this year.

“I am very much aware that the HSE and the Department of Health has a restrictive budget, but I thoroughly believe that funding should be allocated to complete these centres as soon as possible.

“The benefit of having the centres up and running will be huge.

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Deputy Flanagan said when the centres are completed, it is expected that pressure will be taken away from A&E departments at acute hospitals, including Beaumont.

“Importantly, primary care centres will facilitate structured approaches to chronic disease management, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),

? he added.

“COPD patients occupy 45 beds in Beaumont Hospital each day and these much-needed beds will be freed up at the hospital when primary care centres become fully operational.

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A spokeswoman for the HSE said the proposed Coolock Primary Care Centre, covering Coolock and Darndale, is being progressed through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism currently at tender stage.

“The proposed centre will be on the site of the current HSE Health Centre and planning permission has been granted,

? she told Northside People.

“Construction works for the project is expected to start on site by the end of 2015.

“A primary care centre in Edenmore is being progressed via the HSE operational lease mechanism and was part of the recent HSE national newspaper advertisement seeking expressions of interest from interested parties.

“Expressions of interest have been received for Edenmore and the HSE will be reviewing these submissions in the coming weeks and will seek to have a preferred provider selected in Q2, 2015.

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