Committee hears of 'patchy' HSE primary care

The Public Accounts Committee has today heard how the establishment of primary pare in the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2010 was "patchy".

The Public Accounts Committee has today heard how the establishment of primary care in the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2010 was "patchy".

In 2009, the HSE promised a full national network of primary care teams by 2011.

The scheme was designed to take pressure off acute hospitals by offering more services in local communities.

But Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley said today that by the end of 2010, the plan was not working as it should have been.

"There were no health or social care networks by the end of 2010" he said.

"The functioning of the new primary care team structures was patchy - and only half of them were reporting that they had care plans for individual patients".

"Just over half had regular attendance from GPs at their team meetings".

"Only a minority of primary care staff had as yet been assigned to the teams."

HSE chief executive Cathal Magee admitted that primary care centres are still being developed and are not delivering as intended.

"If we could get all our teams to that level of commitment, to that level of functioning, then we would have a hugely important service," he said.

"So if we could get all teams to best practice, then we would transform our primary care service.

"But we have a third of the teams that are average, average to good, and we have a third of the teams that are not working effectively, are we're not happy,

"But they're also, I think, at earlier stages of development."