Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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372. To ask the Minister for Health his views on allowing primary care resource centres to become ambulatory care hubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39055/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Partnership Government confirmed the Government’s commitment to a decisive shift towards primary care. In this context, in my role as Minister of Health, I am bringing a renewed focus to the development of primary care and my Department's Statement of Strategy 2016-2019 sets out a range of actions aimed at improving health outcomes and the health services over the next the period of the strategy. Amongst the key areas to be addressed in this context are:

- Further development of multidisciplinary primary care teamworking;

- Planning and resourcing the primary care workforce;

- Promoting the provision of necessary infrastructural capacity;

- Development of chronic disease management in primary care; and

- Negotiation of a modernised GP contract.

As the Deputy will be aware significant funding has been invested in the development of Primary Care Centres in recent years; 104 Primary Care Centres are now operational. In addition to the 5 already opened in 2017, a further 10 are expected to open in 2017, and another 13 are expected to open in 2018 with many more either under construction or at advanced or early planning stage.

The development of Primary Care Centres to accommodate Primary Care Teams and, where possible, GPs in the one location is a key enabler for the delivery of primary care services. Primary Care Centres facilitate the shift from acute care towards primary care because of the range of multi-disciplinary services they can provide and the role they can play in keeping people who don't need to be in an acute setting out of hospital.

It is the Government's intention to continue to invest in and expand capacity in the primary care sector, including the remit of services delivered in Primary Care Centres, so that we can keep people well and minimise, as far as possible, the number of patients admitted to hospitals. This requires a focus on health promotion, prevention, early identification and simple and early interventions rather than dealing with episodes as they occur. Primary Care Centres can and are enabling such a focus to be delivered through a range of measures including:

- Multi-disciplinary Primary Care Teams being located in Primary Care Centres providing a range of services such as General Practitioner Service, Practice Nurse Service, Community Nurse Service, Home Help/Home Care Attendant Service, Occupational Therapy Service, Physiotherapy Service, Speech and Language Therapy Service and Social Work Service;

- Provision of diagnostic facilities in Primary Care Centres;

- Utilisation of space within Primary Care Centres for health promotion/prevention activities.

Officials in my Department continue to review and examine the role of Primary Care Centres to ensure that we are harnessing and maximising the potential of Primary Care Centres to meet patients' health needs in local communities and reduce the need for attendance at hospital.