Health Sector to create more than 270 jobs as part of plan

The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, has announced that his department plans to recruit more than 270 new staff to work in Primary Care.

It comes after the Minister for Public Reform, Brendan Howlin, announced that primary care facilities will be developed at 20 locations across the country

Minister Reilly said that "key frontline staff will be recruited, funded by a special allocation of €20m which was set aside as part of the HSE’s 2012 National Service Plan to fill posts in Primary Care".

According to Dr Reilly, the funding will enable his department to recruit 17 Clinical Nurse Specialists to support the Integrated Care Diabetes Programme and some 255 other Primary Care Team posts. These positions will include Public Health Nurses, Registered General Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.

The Minister said: "This PPP initiative will complement and build on the processes HSE has already in place in its capital programme."

"International research shows that shared premises are a key enabler for successful team working in the primary care setting. Shared premises encourage and facilitate interaction across all health care professionals which is why the Government is committed to further developing the network of new Primary Care Centres."

The Minister claimed that, in a developed primary care system, "up to 95% of people’s day-to-day health and social care needs can be met in the primary care setting".

The Primary Care centres "will give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other health care disciplines".

The Primary Care Centres, 20 of which will be commissioned subject to agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres, will be built in the following locations:

Balbriggan

Ballaghadereen

Ballymote, Co Sligo

Boyle, Co Roscommon

Carrickmacross

Carrick-on-Suir

Claremorris

Clonmel

Coolock

Cork City (Togher)

Crumlin/Drimnagh

Darndale

Donegal Town

Drogheda North

Dublin Inner City (Summerhill)

Dungarvan

Dungloe, Co Donegal

Ennis

Gort

Kells

Kilcock

Kilkenny

Knocklyon/Rathfarnham

Laytown/Bettystown

Limerick City

Rathdrum, Co Wicklow

Rowlagh/North Clondalkin

Swords

Thurles

Tralee

Tuam

Tullow/Rathvilly (East Carlow)

Waterford City

Westport

Wexford Town