The new 20,000 sq ft Ballina Primary Care Centre, which is due to open in spring 2011, will bring together a team of independent and HSE healthcare professionals to deliver integrated primary healthcare to the people and GPs of the area. The centre will also provide new services including a dedicated sports injury and rehabilitative clinic, medical imaging and a range of allied medical services.
The centre, which has been developed under the Government’s National Primary Care strategy - ‘Primary Care: A New Direction’ - will be the first such centre of its type in Mayo.
The centre is being developed by doctors Tom and Sean Moffatt of Ballina Medical Centre with the professional support and guidance of Alpha Healthcare, the national leaders in the development of primary care centre development. The two doctors responded to the HSE’s calls for expressions of interest in 2007 and 2008, and have worked collaboratively with Alpha Healthcare and the HSE to develop the project.
Dr Maura Irwin will continue to work with the Drs Moffatt, but in addition, Dr Michael Moffatt will relocate to the centre. This will be a new chapter in the Moffatt doctors’ 30 year history in Ballina.
The HSE will take significant space in the completed centre. It will provide services such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, public health nurses, social workers, dieticians, home help, and home management services. The HSE’s administration services will also be based at the centre.
The new centre’s specialised sports and exercise medicine centre will focus on injury prevention, assessment, treatment and individualised rehabilitation skills for all population groups and sporting types. Additionally medical imaging in the community is being explored with various service providers.
“Our aim is to provide a cutting edge facility with enhanced services which will benefit both our patients and the other GPs and their patients in the Ballina area,” said Dr Sean Moffatt.
“One of the key aspects to the project is the fact that Ballina Medical Centre will be operational throughout the construction work and continue to provide extensive GP service, of the usual high standard for our patients,” he added.
