Healthy €3m shot in the arm for Duhallow
WORK ON €3 MILLION PATIENT-LED DUHALLOW PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTRE IS DUE TO START WITHIN WEEKS
FOLLOWING a planning process initiated 17 years ago, a €3m patient-centred primary health care centre will finally become a reality in Newmarket.
Cllr Gerard Murphy (FG) who was a major driving force behind the project, this week told The Corkman that after many years of “ups and downs”, work will finally start in the next couple of weeks.
The planning application, which had received objections, had gone before An Bord Pleanála who eventually gave the HSE-led facility the green light four years ago. But it has taken until now for work to finally start on the ground.
Damien O’Neill of Ardmanagh Horizons Ltd will oversee the building of the 2,100 square metres project. “We hope to be on site within the next couple of weeks and during the construction stage there will be about 30 people employed,” he said.
“The entire project will take us approximately 16 months. So far, all of the units have been leased out and there is one region in the unit which is still vacant. Whoever decides to lease this must tie in with the overall theme of the facility,” Mr O’Neill said.
Alongside GP units, other core services will include a dental surgery, dietician, home help service, mental health facility, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, public health nursing and speech and language therapy.
AFTER a planning process which kick started seven years ago, a HSE led €3 million euro “patient centred” primary health care centre in Newmarket will finally become a reality.
Cllr Gerard Murphy (FG) who was a major driving force behind the project, told The Corkman that after so many years of “ups and downs” work will start in the next couple of weeks. The planning application, which had been the subject of objections, had gone to An Bord Pleanala which gave the facility the green light four years ago, but it has taken until now for work to finally start.
Ex Cork star, Damien O’Neill of Ardmanagh Horizons Ltd will oversee the building of the 2,100 square metres project and he said the patient-led centre will be of huge benefit for the Duhallow catchment region.
“We hope to be on site within the next couple of weeks and for the construction stage there will be about 30 people employed. The entire project will take us approximately 16 months. So far, all of the units have been leased out and there is one region in the unit which is still vacant. However, as per the HSE guidelines and the planning, who ever decides to lease it, it must tie in with the overall theme of the facility,” he told The Corkman.
Ardmanagh Horizons Ltd also built the Charleville Primary Health Care facility and also built one in Bantry.
Along with GP units, the other core services in the new centre will include a dental surgery, dietician, home help service, mental health facility, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, public health nursing and speech and language therapy. There will also be 120 car parking spaces at the facility at West End in Newmarket.
The primary care team centre for Newmarket has been designed in accordance with the national HSE policy for the development of primary care team centres which requires the co-location of Gps and HSE staff providing patient services and clinics at one central location.
Cllr Murphy said: “When completed this facility most importantly will be of huge benefit to the health of the community. Hopefully, the facility will also benefit the town as a whole. It will bring up to 30 jobs and hopefully people attending the facility will also use other facilities in the town such as shops, restaurant and post office services,” he said.
With the new facility, a GP may wish to lease a unit from the HSE. However, a GP practice may also wish to simply remain where they are already based. Any vacant areas will be leased only with the permission of the HSE and it must be medically led to fit with the overall theme of the building.
Cllr Murphy said: “With this new facility, it will of course also mean that it will be available to other practices in the area. Duhallow has the highest ageing population in the country and to have this facility in Newmarket, with such a host of medical help under the one roof, will be invaluable.
“Whether, it’s a GP service to occupational therapy to a dietician to a public health nurse to speech and language. All in all, it is a great day for Newmarket and the huge hinterland which it serves.”