Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly has officially opened the Thomastown Primary Care Centre in Co. Kilkenny.
The Centre was developed as part of the HSE’s €240 million national Enhanced Community Care (ECC) programme.
The Thomastown Primary Care Centre, Co. Kilkenny is a developer led (per Westcourt Healthcare Developments Ltd.) project. At 16,344 square metres over two floors and operational since December 2022, the Centre will similarly accommodate and facilitate co-location for a multidisciplinary group of health and social care professionals to deliver primary care services to communities in mid Co. Kilkenny and adjoining parts of Co. Carlow.
Along with GP services, those to be provided in the Thomastown Primary Care Centre by HSE/South East Community Healthcare (SECH) include Community Health Network management, Community Medical Doctor, Community Mental Health Team, Counselling in primary care, Dental, Dietician, Health and Wellbeing services, Occupational Therapy, Ophthalmology, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Psychology, Public Health Nursing, Social inclusion clinics for marginalised communities including addiction services, Social Prescribing clinics, Speech and Language Therapy and Chronic Disease management team members (including Dietitians, Physiotherapy, Podiatrists and COPD rehab nurses) with other community healthcare administrative supports.
Speaking at the official opening of the Centre, Minister Donnelly said,
“Enhanced Community Care is a huge investment in community healthcare services in the HSE, aiming to provide more services closer to people’s homes, and provide extra services for older people, or people who live with long-term health conditions.”
“Ninety-four Community Healthcare Networks (including ones based in the Kilkenny and surrounding areas), 21 Community Specialist Teams for Older Persons (including one in Kilkenny), 21 Chronic Disease Community Specialist Teams (including one based in Kilkenny) and 21 Community Intervention Teams (including one here in Co. Kilkenny with the involvement of St. Luke’s General Hospital) are now in place, with national coverage. Community diagnostic services provided over 253,000 scans to patients in 2022.
“Primary Care Centres, such as this new, state of the art one in Co. Kilkenny, together with the Integrated Care for Older People hubs such as the one for Carlow/Kilkenny, allow us to provide integrated and high-quality services closer to people’s homes. I want to thank the HSE staff, working in partnership with GPs and Primary Care Teams, who are already making a difference to the lives of people throughout Co. Kilkenny.”
