Fermoy primary care centre won't offer services until end of year

The one outstanding issue for the council is potential traffic congestion, with a new Tesco supermarket also planned for the town

The top floor is expected to house a GP practice although it is understood from medical sources it has proved challenging to find GPs interested in re-locating.

A new primary care centre in Fermoy may not see HSE services starting to move in before December, the HSE has said.

The centre at Mill Island is expected to house HSE community staff, as well as private therapists, MRI services and a GP practice. A HSE spokeswoman said equipping of the building is “ongoing” including installing specialist medical equipment.

“In terms of transferring HSE services to the building we envisage this to commence late into Q4,” she said referring to the months from October to December.

“It is likely this will happen on a phased basis.” 

Fine Gael councillor Noel McCarthy said the new centre will be “brilliant” for local patients. Recruitment is due to start shortly for an expected full opening date between January and March next year.

“I’m delighted with it, I think it’s a great addition to Fermoy,” he said. “There’s one in Mitchelstown and other towns, we see people from Fermoy going out there so it’s great now that they won’t have to travel far and will have one in their own town.” 

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He said, however, one outstanding issue for the council is potential traffic congestion, with a new Tesco supermarket also planned for the town.

“It’s not a negative, but it’s something we have to address hopefully before it opens, both that and the Tesco centre,” he said.

The HSE is expected to be the biggest tenant, with a range of services including dentistry and pharmacy also set to move in. The top floor is expected to house a GP practice although it is understood from medical sources it has proved challenging to find GPs interested in re-locating.

There is believed to be reluctance among some healthcare professionals to re-locate as the growing ease of online appointments and e-prescribing makes having a one-stop-shop less urgent than before the pandemic.

The site was previously used by BUPA Healthcare and Quinn Healthcare.