Community Based Heath Service, Chamber House near new Library in Tallaght Town Centre

[Gerry Stockil]

REGIONAL HEALTH FORUM DUBLIN – MID LEINSTER


Primary, Community and Continuing Care Committee


17th June 2008


Item no: 3


QUESTION – Cllr. J. Neville




Received from Cllr Joe Neville



To ask the Manager for a detailed update on the proposed services to
be provided in the recently announced Primary Care Centre in the
Tallaght Town area with specific reference to the opening hours of the
proposed Centre?

Cllr. J. Neville

Reply:


The Board of the HSE has recently sanctioned the acquisition of newly
built premises for the development of community based health services
for the people of Tallaght.


The building which will be known as Chamber House is located at the
heart of the town centre, next door to the new library. It has
excellent links to public transport through the adjacent LUAS, 17 bus
routes, road network and planned Metro. It comprises of 4 floors over
a small ground floor reception area, with a gross area of just under
3,035 sq m (approx 32,655 sq ft). Currently the floors are open plan
and require fitting out to meet HSE requirements. Subject to planning
permission it is anticipated that the building will be operational
early in 2009.


Springfield Primary Care Team: will be located on the first floor of
the building. This will form the nucleus of integrated care for the
local community of Springfield, by providing a single point of contact
for people who need to access the health system. Central to this will
be interdisciplinary team working, access to diagnostics and seamless
linkages with specialist services when required. The overall vision is
that the Primary Care Team will be the person’s first point of entry
into the Health Care System, providing a range of services locally,
including GP services, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy,
speech and language therapy, social work and home support. There will
be an emphasis on working with the local community to address local
needs.


Primary and Social Care Network: The remainder of the building will
accommodate a Primary and Social Care Network which will provide and
manage a pool of specialist services to support the Primary Care Teams
in Tallaght and their local communities. These specialist services
will include dietetics, dentistry, psychological services, specialist
disability services, child protection and mental health services.


The Network will also support integration within the Local Health
Office area linking the broader health system including services
provided through hospitals and HSE funded agencies – focusing on
shared healthcare outcomes, providing a common ground for all. The
building will serve as the hub, providing the focal point of
integrated health and social services for the area.


Hours of Operation: Services will initially operate on a 9.00am to
5.00pm basis. However the terms of the lease allow for flexibility to
respond to local service need in consultation with the local
community. It is envisioned that the clinical space used between
9.00am and 5.00pm by the Springfield Primary Care Team may become the
base for a GP Out-of-Hours Service for the town of Tallaght and
surrounding areas. The building and access are secure given its
central location in a public square, surrounded by apartments, a hotel
and cafes. The facility may also provide a base for staff involved in
the Community Intervention Team (Out of Hours Home Nursing Support)
thus facilitating integrated working. Any out-of–hours service will be
planned in consultation with the community and will operate on an
appointment system.


The new building at Chamber house will provide specialist services to
support the work of the Primary Care Teams.



Mr. Hugh Kane

Assistant National Director, PCCC

Phone: 045 880453