Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

The key component of the primary care strategy is the development of services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary primary care teams, PCTs, consisting of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others. Following changes to team boundaries across the country to integrate with the HSE's new integrated service areas, a number of PCTs have been merged. The total number of teams targeted by the HSE for establishment by the end of 2012 now stands at 486. At the end of February 2012, 400 PCTs were operating, that is, holding clinical team meetings. Funding of €20 million has been provided for in the HSE's national service plan for 2012 to fill as many vacancies as possible that have arisen as a result of the recent public service retirements and to expand existing arrangements where sessional services are provided by allied health professionals. This will be increased to €25 million if it can be established that there is scope for further savings of €5 million in demand led schemes. At this time of scarce national resources, it is essential that such posts will be allocated according to an objective assessment of needs. The HSE is accordingly analysing the current provision of posts in proportion to population and population health needs to identify which areas are least well served.

The allocation of the extra posts will be subject to approval by the universal primary care project team, which has been tasked with working through the issues relating to the programme for Government commitments on primary care.

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