Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on a departmental statement that work to identify the primary care development requirements required to support the reconfiguration of the hospital services in the Hanly pilot regions will be carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4282/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The task force on medical staffing recognised the important contribution that primary care can make to the provision of quality patient care and to reducing inappropriate demand on the hospital sector. At the Department's request, the East Coast Area Health Board, which is now the HSE east coast area, and the Mid-Western Health Board, now the HSE mid-western area, comprising the two phase 1 implementation regions, each engaged in a detailed exercise to identify the primary care developments required to support the reconfiguration of the hospital services in their areas. The need for consultation with the relevant stakeholders who will work in the primary care teams and with the communities to be served by the teams and networks was emphasised.

The HSE mid-western area has developed a draft plan of potential locations for future primary care teams and primary care networks under its jurisdiction in accordance with the service model described in the primary care strategy. The exercise involved a structured examination of a broad range of data including, demographic information, disease patterns, locations of existing public health services, general practice populations, deprivation and mental health indicators and transport links. A database of information was assembled and a geographical information system, GIS, was used to examine the data. The HSE mid-western area intends to use the draft plan as the basis for consultation with primary care providers and service users to progress the roll out of primary care teams and primary care networks.

The HSE east coast area exercise involved a detailed examination of existing primary care services and the preparation of a prioritised action plan for the development of primary care to support the co-ordinated implementation of the primary care strategy and the recommendations of the report of the national task force on medical staffing. The approach taken by the HSE east coast area addressed service requirements including integrated care; information and communications technology needs within primary care and linkages between general practice and hospital services; staffing; premises; equipment; communication and access arrangements and developments between general practice and acute hospital services.

An allocation of €1.5 million has been made in 2005 to enable work to begin on the appropriate development of primary care services in line with the plans prepared. The Department will work closely with the executive to agree specific priorities in each area in the context of this development funding.