This article is from page 19 of the 2008-07-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
TREATING more people in the community was the aim behind a new concept in health care unveiled by the HSE in Clare on Monday.
The North Clare Primary Care Team will provide GP Practice serv- ices, community nursing, physiother- apy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy services, commu- nity welfare, home help and extend- ed services such as dietetics, dental, podiatry and school health service to approximately 7,000 people.
“One of the major problems in the past with primary care was the frag- mentation of services. Now for the first time a conscious and ongoing ef- fort is being made to deliver primary care to the people of north Clare on a joined up basis,” said the chairman of the team, Dr Fergus Glynn.
“One particular issue for us in this part of north Clare is the high number
of elderly people, particularly those Uhvaustear-Dleyatee
“One of the principle aims is to support older people in health and ill health to live fulfilled lives within their community,’ he said.
According to the HSE, the focus of the health service and its develop- ments has traditionally been around the hospital system. But now there is recognition that primary care serv- ices can meet 90 to 95 per cent of all health and personal social service needs and lead to better outcomes, better health status and better cost- CIBC AL od Nhe
The service will be spread over a geographical area of 550 square kilometres in north Clare to include Corofin, Lisdoonvarna, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan, Kilnaboy, Car- ron, Boston and Doolin.
The primary care team will provide a strengthened primary care system in the north Clare area, which will
play a more central role as the first and ongoing point of contact for cli- ents within the health-care system.
It will aim to provide an integrat- ed, inter-disciplinary, high-qual- ity, team-based and _ user-friendly set of services for the client and an enhanced capacity for primary care in the areas of disease prevention, rehabilitation and personal social services to complement the existing diagnosis and treatment focus.
The members of the North Clare Primary Care team are based in a number of locations at present, the new Ballyvaughan Primary Care Centre, Lisdoonvarna Health Centre and Corofin Medical Centre. Addi- tional staff have been appointed to support the team including a physio- therapist, a registered nurse, a speech and language therapist, an occupa- tional therapist and other staff, in- cluding a dietician, to support more than one team.