James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of primary care teams in place as at the end October 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44699/10]

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.

The HSE has identified 527 Primary Care Teams (PCTs) for development by 2011. At the end of October 2010, 313 teams were operating (holding clinical team meetings on individual client cases and involving GPs and HSE staff) and providing services for over 2.5 million people. The HSE has indicated that it expects a further 81 teams to be operating by the end of 2010 and plans to have the remaining 133 operating by the end of 2011.