The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly T.D., visited Kilkenny on Thursday afternoon (6th of April, 2023), where he officially opened the Newpark Primary Care Centre.
The Newpark Primary Care Centres was developed as part of the HSE’s €240 million national Enhanced Community Care (ECC) programme, which is making substantial progress nationally in reducing pressure on services and dependence on the acute hospital-centred model of care through enhanced and increased community services.
The Newpark Primary Care Centre in Kilkenny is a developer led (per Lou Investments Healthcare) leasehold building that has been occupied on a phased basis since summer 2021. At 4,483 square metres over three floors, this Centre will provide of a range of health services from a single integrated, modern facility to help serve the healthcare needs of the people of Kilkenny City and surrounding areas in the north of Co. Kilkenny. The Lakeside GP practice is based in the building.
In addition to the GP services, those to be provided in the Newpark Primary Care Centre by HSE/South East Community Healthcare (SECH) include Community Health Network management, Adult Mental Health Day Hospital and Community Medical Doctor, Counselling in primary care, Dental and Othrodontics, Dietician, Integrated Care for Older Persons clinics, Occupational Therapy, Ophthalmology, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Public Health Nursing, Social inclusion clinics for marginalised communities, 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 Newpark Primary Care 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.”
“94 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.
“The national Enhanced Community Care programme is, at its core, a reform programme representing an investment of €240 million to develop and enhance care in the community. It has been developed under the Sláintecare Programme to ensure all HSE primary and community care services work together effectively.”
“Primary Care Centres, such as this new, state of the art ones in 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.”
