Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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1105. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider proposals set out in correspondence by a person (details supplied) regarding the health service; his views that these proposals could be implemented to help improve the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32037/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs) Report, which was launched by the HSE in October 2014, sets out plans for a comprehensive reorganisation of health services outside the acute hospital system. The primary focus is to provide the maximum proportion of care to people in the communities where they live and to achieve joined-up, integrated services.

A National CHO Implementation Steering Group within the HSE is overseeing a three-year programme of work to fully establish the CHOs and the models of care delivery which they will enable. This will include the establishment of the full management team in each CHO, in order to ensure appropriate leadership and integrated delivery of services in line with national policy.

The HSE already has a Primary Care Team (PCT) and Network structure in place around the country consisting of over 400 PCTs. The PCT is the central point for service delivery which actively engages to address the medical and social care needs of the population in conjunction with a wider range of Network services. PCTs comprise a range of healthcare professionals, including general practitioners; nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, social workers, health care assistants, home helps, managers and administrative staff. Primary Care Networks provide additional resources depending on assessed needs, such as dieticians and psychologists, to a number of primary care teams. Members of Teams and Networks liaise with fellow team members on an ongoing basis in the context of individual client cases.

I will arrange for the Deputy's correspondence to be forwarded to the HSE's National Director of Primary Care so that it can be considered in the context of the HSE's ongoing planning for the delivery of services to patients at community level.