This article is from page 38 of the 2009-06-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
AT LAST Wednesday’s launch of the HSE’s newest Primary Care Team in Scariff, chief executive Pro- fessor Brendan Drumm said that by the end of 2011 everyone in the coun- try should be able to access up to 95 per cent of the care they need within their local community.
The teams provide an easy access point to local health and personal social care services such as GPs, physiotherapy, public health nursing, diagnostic services, occupational therapy, speech and language thera- py, community welfare and support for chronic illnesses such as diabetes Niemen aeueet:b
The east Clare PCT comprises of five GPs and 13 existing HSE staff who provide services to a approxi- mately 9,750 people, a large propor- tion of which is elderly, over a wide geographical but sparsely popu- lated area taking in Scariff, Tulla, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Broadford, Bodyke, Tuamgraney, Ogonnel- loe, Mountshannon, Whitegate and Feakle.
Scariff GP, Dr Conor McGee said the basic premise behind the Prima- ry Care Teams is that more services will be available locally as patients would have had to travel to Ennis or Limerick for these services.
“If you also consider the travel time, hospital staff hours, laboratory time and more particularly how the pa- tients and their families/carers may have to organise their lives around appointments, having these services available locally is very significant. It certainly has improved access to
services and the quality of people’s lives; clients are seen in a more timely fashion by health care profes- sionals whom they are familiar with, thereby often resulting in a more sat- isfactory outcome for both client and health care worker,” he said.
The members of the east Clare Primary Care Team are based in a number of locations including Scar- riff, Tulla, Broadford and Raheen. Additional staff have been appoint- ed to support the team including a physiotherapist, a registered nurse, and an occupational therapist, while
the newly appointed speech and lan- guage therapist and podiatrist will support more than one team.
The team meets on a monthly basis when clients with complex and mul- tiple health care needs are discussed and action plans agreed upon. Team members share their collective expe- rience and knowledge in a manner that allows the best possible action plan for a specific client to be formu- lated.
Waiting times have fallen signifi- cantly for physiotherapy and occupa- tional therapy and services are now
available locally. Referral pathways for access to respite services have been developed with the Community Nursing Unit, while a leg ulcer clinic has commenced and will be further developed.
Other team initiatives have been identified as priorities including breastfeeding support, minor sur- gery and a diabetic initiative.