Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of primary care teams now in place; the number of those teams that are considered to have a complete professional clinical cohort; the number that are located in a single location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1557/11]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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At the heart of the Primary Care Strategy is the aim of developing services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, home helps, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other health care professionals. The Strategy is also about the reorientation of existing resources to develop new ways for health and social care professionals to work together for the benefit of people accessing primary care services in their own communities.

Currently, there are 348 Primary Care Teams operating (holding clinical team meetings on individual client cases and involving GPs and HSE staff) and providing services for over 2.6 million people. The Health Service Executive has identified 527 Primary Care Teams (PCTs) for development by the end of 2011.

Where possible, PCTs are based in a single facility to provide easy accessibility for patients and to enhance multi-disciplinary teamwork. However, there is ample worldwide evidence that health professionals can work effectively together while being based in different locations. I set out below a table giving an indication of the infrastructure in place for the current Teams.