Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 124: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether a proper primary care service could help to deal with the crisis in accident and emergency services; the progress made to date in implementing a primary care strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15400/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The primary care strategy sets out the Government's vision for the development of primary care as the central focus for the delivery of health and personal social care services in a modern health system. The strategy aims to shift the emphasis from an over-reliance on acute hospital services to one where patients will be able to access an integrated multidisciplinary service provided by a primary care team in their local community.

The HSE is adopting a wide ranging approach in order to address the current difficulties in accident and emergency services, including the enhancement and development of primary and community care services. The HSE has emphasised the importance of developing primary care services, both as the appropriate service for the delivery of the majority of people's health and social care needs, and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. This is an important priority for the executive, which has my full endorsement. Well-developed, integrated and accessible primary and community services are essential for improving the efficiency of hospital services, particularly accident and emergency services.

The strategy is also about the re-orientation of existing resources to develop new ways for medical professionals to work together for the benefit of people accessing primary care services in their own communities. With regard to implementation, an initial ten primary care teams have been established nationally, with funding to enable existing staff resources within the public system to be augmented. These teams enable the primary care model to be demonstrated in action and have allowed practical experience to be gained of the process involved in developing a primary care team and providing expanded services in the community. The HSE will be building on the experience gained in these ten projects as it develops team-based primary care services on a wider scale.

Significant resources are invested by the HSE in primary, community and continuing care services. In 2006 over €7 billion will be spent on those services, with almost half of this specifically designated for primary care and community health services. Additionally, the 2006 Estimate for the Health Service Executive includes an extra €16 million in revenue funding to enable the establishment of up to 100 new primary care teams to allow the further development of GP co-operatives and to continue a phased increase in the number of GP training places from 84 to 150.

The wider implementation of the primary care strategy will focus on developing new ways of working and of reorganising the resources already available to the health service in line with the service model described in the strategy. This whole-system approach to implementation means change will be required in many sectors in the health service, and not solely within primary care itself. It is in this context that additional resources can be deployed to best effect.