Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly T.D. officially opened the new state-of-the-art Station Road Primary Care Centre, Ennis which has been developed as part of the national Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme.
The new Station Road Primary Care Centre is the first such centre to be opened in Co. Clare, and is the largest facility of its kind in the Mid West. It is already enhancing the delivery of quality primary care services to the people of Ennis and its environs. The Centre has been operational since December 2022 and serves two Primary Care Teams in Ennis and the surrounding areas, which have a population of approximately 30,000 people.
Station Road Primary Care Centre is a four-storey building (with plans to add an additional floor) and is 7,250m2 in size. It includes a range of clinical, interview, group and diagnostic rooms from which a broad suite of services can be delivered. The facilities have been developed to meet the highest infection control, safety and energy standards in a bright and modern environment.
Minister Stephen Donnelly said: “Primary Care Centres, like this one in Ennis, are integral to the expansion and reform of healthcare provision in our communities. They represent the very real and substantial commitment to Universal Healthcare. Primary Care Centres are integral to moving care away from acute hospitals and we will continue to build this infrastructure and capacity to provide care as close to people’s homes as possible.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to visit Station Road Primary Care Centre and to meet with the wonderful team who demonstrate, each and every day, an extraordinary level of commitment to providing care to the local community here in Ennis”
Maria Bridgeman, Chief Officer, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare added: “Station Road Primary Care Centre represents one of the biggest investments in healthcare in Clare in many years. It enables our teams to work together in a cohesive fashion, under one roof, delivering the highest possible standard of care to the people of Ennis and surrounding areas. I want to thank our teams who have made this development possible, as well as those who are currently working there, and helping to realise the vision that this Centre promises.”
“While this is the first Primary Care Centre to be developed in County Clare, it is certainly not the last. In the coming years, we look forward to further enhancing Primary Care Services throughout the county through the delivery of more new Centres at Tulla Road, Ennis, as well as in Ennistymon and Sixmilebridge. We have also invested in a number of our other facilities, including Kilrush Health Centre, to help realise the vision of Sláintecare and to deliver more care than ever before in, or near, people’s communities.”
The new centre has been developed as part of the national Enhanced Community Care (ECC) programme which is already making progress, aiming to reduce pressure on services and dependence on the hospital-centric model of care through enhanced and increased community services. Developed as part of implementing Sláintecare, the ECC programme aims to ensure all HSE primary and community care services work in an integrated way to meet population health needs across Ireland, to reduce dependence on hospital services and provide access to consultant-led specialist services in the community. In the Mid West region, eight Community Healthcare Networks have been established while specialist community teams will support Older Persons and those with Chronic Diseases across North Tipperary, Limerick and Clare.
Community Intervention Teams have also been established, operating from locations in Ennis, Limerick City, Newcastle West, Nenagh and from the new Thurles Primary Care Centre. The Community Intervention Team is firmly embedded in the Mid West with a focus on hospital avoidance and early supported discharge from the acute setting. It is seen as a key enabler for integrated care in the area.
All GPs throughout the Mid West region have increased direct access to Community Diagnostics for their patients. In January-May 2023, over 7,200 scans have been completed as part of this initiative.
For more information about Enhanced Community Care (ECC) please visit www.hse.ie/communitynetworks
The following HSE services are currently operating from Ennis Primary Care Services:
Public Health Nursing Services: Leg Ulcer Clinics; Wound Management Clinics; Child Welfare Clinics; Child Health Clinics; Immunisation Clinic; School Screening Service; Breast Feeding Support Group and lactation Clinics
Community Medical Doctor Services
Ophthalmology Services
Dental Services
Speech & Language Therapy Services
Occupational Therapy Services
Physiotherapy Services
Podiatry Services
Psychology Services
Dietetics Services
Social Work Services
Adult Audiology Services (to start end of July)
Community Diagnostic Service – on-site x-rays will be provided by end of Q3 2023.
Chronic Disease Team are located on the second floor of the building.
TUSLA provide are located on the third floor of the building.
Integrated Care Programme for Older People (ICPOP) services will be located on the fourth floor of the building when it is added.
General Practitioner Services are currently provided from a private GP practice, Sonas Medical Centre, on the ground floor of the Primary Care Centre.