Ballincollig Primary Care Centre opens
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, TD, officially opened the HSE Ballincollig Primary Care Centre earlier today.
The centre is part the HSE Community Healthcare Network which covers Ballincollig, Bishopstown and Macroom - serving a population of 71,943. The building has a footprint of 6,100 m2 (66,000 sq.) and has been acquired on a long-term lease from Valley Healthcare Ltd.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD, said: “This state-of-the-art facility is an important part in providing high quality healthcare for the people of Ballincollig, Bishopstown, Macroom and beyond.
“There are a myriad of services all under one roof in this impressive primary care centre and a wide range of staff from many disciplines who provide vital integrated care that's close to home. Having facilities like this enables us to implement the principles of Sláintecare and deliver excellent, progressive, connected care," he said.
The co-location of health and social care professionals, nursing, medical, administrative and support staff in the facility centre brings together many healthcare disciplines.
There are also three local GP practices based at the centre (Eastgate Medical, Ovens Ballincollig Medical Centre and Esculap Medical Centre).
Approximately 260 people attend Cork Kerry Community Healthcare service appointments each day at the facility, which is the local base for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, public health nursing, social work and home support managers.
The centre is also home to various HSE services, including the Cork Adult ADHD Tertiary Care Hub (CATCH), Ballincollig Sector Community Mental Health Team, Specialist Neurodevelopmental ADHD Pathway (SNAP) Team, CUMH outreach maternity clinic, the Regional Eye Care service (Ophthalmology), Smoking Cessation, and a community breastfeeding support group led by the PHN service lactation consultant.
Chief Clinical Officer HSE Colm Henry, said: “Primary care centres, such as this state-of-the-art one in Ballincollig, allow us to provide integrated and high quality services closer to people’s homes. This facility offers a comprehensive array of services, all conveniently housed under one roof.”
Head of Primary Care at Cork Kerry Community Healthcare Priscilla Lynch highlighted the improved care the facility will bring to the community, saying: "Providing services in a building of this quality facilitates the delivery of accessible, responsive, high quality integrated services. Staff are enabled to provide better care, closer to people’s homes, with a key aim of reducing - as far as possible - the number of people admitted to hospital.
"In 2024, we plan to improve links from services in the building with other services including chronic disease management, the ICPOP team, community welfare groups and our partners in Acute and Community Hospitals. Our overall aim is to make the transition from hospital to the community smoother for people who use our services," she said.