The implementation of the Primary Health Care Strategy will continue despite last week's sharp cut in Government spending, according to Dr Tony Holohan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health.
Giving an Irish Times/Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland lecture in Dublin last night, Dr Holohan said next year's funding of €8.4 million for the 10 implementation projects already announced was guaranteed. The Department would ensure that its policy focus would be maintained on primary care.
Last month the Minister for Health announced much strengthened primary care teams in 10 locations throughout the State. These teams will include general practitioners, nurses/midwives, healthcare assistants, home helps, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a social worker and administrative personnel. The primary care strategy promised that 30 teams would be established by the end of 2003.
In a wide-ranging lecture on the future of the 10-year strategy, "Primary Care - A New Direction", Dr Holohan called for better integration between the hospital and community sectors. He said improved referral guidelines, better access to hospital-based diagnostic facilities and smoother discharge arrangements were just some of the interventions that would improve co-ordination.
"We clearly face challenges in the areas of capacity, teamworking, after-hours services and operational issues such as whether we will have the numbers of people we will need in professions like occupational therapy. For general practitioners the issue of building a better geographical spread of practices arises", Dr Holohan told the meeting.
He warned general practitioners not to "cherry-pick" parts of the strategy. "There are good things in it for everybody and also some things that people may not like. It is about letting go from the past, building on what we have and taking ownership and giving leadership going forward", he said.
Pointing out that healthcare is changing rapidly he said that general practice must consolidate its value by expanding along with change.