Cllr John Connolly has welcomed the decision by Galway City Council to approve planning permission for the new Primary Care Centre and Enhanced Community Care Hub at the Block A, Galway West Business Park, Knocknacarra adjacent to the Retail Park on the Western Distributor Rd
The development of primary care centres throughout the country is an important part of the Slaintecare plan. This Centre will facilitate clinical space for the Primary Care Teams of both Knocknacarra and Salthill as well as the provision of an Enhanced Community Care Hub.
He said that the primary focus of the building is for the provision of an Enhanced Community Care Hub to incorporate the integrated Care teams for Older Persons, Integrated Care teams for chronic disease management in Respiratory, Cardiology and Diabetes providing clinical treatment rooms for Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language, Dietetics, Podiatry, Public Health Nursing and Social work.
The centre, which will provide services for both children and adults, will also comprise of diagnostics suites to include X ray, pulmonary function testing and cardiac diagnostics.”
“At a recent Health Forum Meeting I asked for the timeline as to when the building would become operational. It is hoped that patients will start using the facility in 2025,” he told the Advertiser.
“The City Council have included a condition in the grant that the HSE must be operated in accordance with provision of the Mobility Management Plan provided by the HSE in their application. The HSE will be obligated to provide and agree an annual mobility plan to the City Council for the first three years following first occupation of the development. The initial plan proposed to the council in the planning application includes for the appointment of a travel plan coordinator for the staff of the facility.”
“One disappointment in the proposal is that due to the range of HSE Services to be accommodated, there was no capacity within the existing building for a GP surgery. Traditionally the HSE have strongly supported co-location of GP practices within Primary Care Centres, and I believe that the HSE estates should make efforts to seek space within the general locality for the provision of much needed GP services,” concluded Cllr Connolly.
