Tánaiste opens Cork's latest primary care centre in Ballincollig

The Tánaiste, Mícheál Martin, officially opened Cork’s latest primary care centre in Ballincollig this morning, declaring the three storey 6,100m2 building a ‘state of the art facility’, which will provide high quality healthcare for almost 72,000 people.

The multi-million Euro facility which is located near the entrance to Ballincollig Regional Park at the eastern end of the town, will be part of the Health Services Executive Community Care Network which covers the 71,943 population living between Ballincollig, Bishopstown and Macroom.

Range of services

As well as three local GP practices, the building will also be the location for a range of medical services including for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, public health nursing, social work and home support managers.

Other HSE services working from the centre include the Cork Adult ADHD Tertiary Care Hub (CATCH), the Ballincollig Sector Community Mental Health team, the Specialist Neurodevelopmental ADHD Pathway (SNAP) Team, the CUMH outreach maternity clinic, the Regional Eye Care Service (Opthalmology) and the Community Breastfeeding Support Group.

As he opened the facility on Monday morning, Tánaiste Mícheál Martin remarked on the ‘myriad of services’ that would be provided under one roof at the primary care centre, which has ‘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,” said Mr Martin.

The HSE’s chief clinical officer, Dr Colm Henry, said the primary care centre network allowed the provision of integrated and high quality services closer to peoples’ homes.

“This facility offers a comprehensive array of services, all conveniently housed under one roof,” he said.

“I am looking forward to meeting staff from a wide ranging specialities, including the Regional Eye Care Centre, which is also based at the Ballincollig Primary Care Centre.

“As part of the Modernised Care Pathways, the ophthalmology pathways are in line with a transition towards providing more care in the community.

Sláintecare

“The pathways are consistent with Sláintecare principles, ensuring patients are seen in a more timely manner and by a healthcare team that transcends hospital-community barriers.” 

The aim of facilities such as the Ballincollig Primary Care Centre was to reduce as far as possible the number of people admitted to hospital, the head of Primary Care at Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Priscilla Lynch, said.

“In 2024, we plan to improve links from services in the building with other services including chronic disease management, the Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) team, community welfare groups and our partners in acute and community hospitals,” said Ms Lynch.

“Our overall aim is to make the transition from hospital to the community smoother for people who use our services."

Monday was described as a ‘great day for everyone involved in this fabulous building’ said Claire McCarthy who, as Community Healthcare Network 12 manager has overall responsibility for the care of those in the Macroom-Ballincollig and Bishopshtown communities.

“Our aim is to deliver person-centred holistic care and the new primary care centre is an enabler for teams working together to provide timely care, for young and old, as close to home as possible."

The 6,100 square meter facility has been acquired on a long-term lease from Valley Healthcare Ltd.