A PLAN is being drawn up by the HSE for a new primary health care centre at St Joseph’s Hospital to cater for the Market and Garryowen network of health care providers in the city.
The new purpose-built facility is being proposed as the current centre falls far short of legislative requirements for staff, according to the HSE.
They say that integrated health care and multi-disciplinary care is being inhibited by the current design and configuration of the centre from which healthcare is being provided.
The new centre will accommodate teams who are currently working in Roxtown House in Old Clare Street and who serve a population in the city of 33,870.
The project will provide space for the needs of patients and staff as well as creating room for training and expansion of services.
The services on offer will include general practice, community nursing, occupational therapy, addiction services, dietician services, disability services, early intervention, and dental services.
The HSE is now seeking to commission a business case which, when contracted, should take around 16 weeks to deliver.
The deadline to apply for the contract is the end of March making it likely that the strategic assessment and preliminary business case should be prepared before the end of the year.
