Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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282. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding care centres (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31863/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Programme for Government highlights the expansion of Primary Care Centres as a priority within the health capital budget. The National Service Plan 2014 provides for the procurement of an additional 21 Primary Care Centres this year. This will create an environment for improved access which will facilitate structured approaches to chronic disease management, enhanced multidisciplinary team working, improved diagnostic capabilities in Primary Care and the integration of services between primary and secondary care.

The Special Delivery Unit is actively driving system improvement in acute hospital services through regular liaison meetings with hospitals. Improvement is promoted through approaches including (but not limited to):

- Operational Management including Demand and Capacity planning capability;

- Use of predicted date of discharge;

- Early morning discharging (home by 11);

- 7 day discharging (underpinned by 7 day working);

- Whole system planning, involving community services;

- Greater use of transitional care, such as rehabilitation / step-down care; and

- Greater provision of home care packages.

All of these measures focus on enhancing patient flow, to ensure that capacity can be created to admit patients who require acute care. The key message remains that wider hospital clinical teams and community services must respond in a coordinated manner, to plan for demand and to maximise the responsiveness of services.

The HSE's Primary Care Division is also working with the Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate to improve access to diagnostic tests for GPs, particularly ultrasound. This will greatly assist in early diagnosis, hospital avoidance, greater integrated care and a better, safer, patient experience. This initiative is currently at development stage and it is planned to roll out this service initially in two pilot sites in 2014.