The first of a number of new teams being established by the Health Service Executive to help elderly people to remain at home after becoming ill will begin operating in Cork city next month.
Under the initiative a GP who sees an elderly patient who is ill, with a chest infection for example, and who needs some support to remain at home while recovering, will be able to summon a "community intervention team" by telephoning a central office.
The central office will, according to current plans, be in a position to immediately send a home help to cook a dinner for the patient, and care assistants or nurses will also be sent.
If required, a carer will also be sent to stay overnight with the elderly person.
The HSE envisages that the service will also be used by Accident and Emergency departments who see patients that could be sent home if they had appropriate supports.
The central telephone number for the intervention teams will operate daily until 10pm. The telephone number is not yet available.
Later this year similar teams will be established in Dublin west, Dublin south city, Dublin north city and Limerick city. They may then be established nationwide in due course.
The people who make up the teams are likely to be a mixture of current and new staff.
Part of the infrastructure already in place for a GP co-op in Cork may be used for the setting up of the first of the community intervention teams.
Meanwhile, the HSE announced yesterday that it now wants to hear from people who would like to become members of a number of expert advisory groups it is about to establish.
The groups will advise on the organisation and development of services for older people, children, people with mental health problems, people with diabetes and in relation to accident and emergency services.
The members of the expert groups will include people with professional or clinical expertise in particular healthcare areas as well as patients and users of various services.
Also yesterday the Health Service Executive said its board had now approved its 2006 capital development plan which will see investment of €529 million on major building works, equipment and facilities.
The funding was earmarked for these projects in last November's estimates.