Official Opening of the Glanmire Medical Centre, Crestfield, Glanmire, Co Cork

On Friday, 26th November 2004

Introduction

Firstly let me thank Dr Tadg Grufferty and his colleagues for inviting me here today to officially open Phase Two of this development. As former Minister for Health and Children, and a public representative for Cork, albeit not for this particular area, I value the opportunity afforded by occasions such as this to express my support for healthcare projects which aim to address the needs of patients in the community.

New Strategy and Developments

The Primary Care Strategy, along with the National Health Strategy, charted the way forward in the nation’s primary healthcare system for the next number of years.

Government spending on health care is now €10.08bn annually. It is crucial that there is a good return on this investment. Monies being spent on health must lead to clearly identifiable benefits and address the needs of all, through better services and improved facilities. The future thrust of healthcare development in Ireland will be on improving services in the community. Primary care will move centre stage as we optimise the use of the various disciplines involved, general practitioners, community nurses and the other professional service providers who contribute to improving our health and welfare needs. Initiatives such as general practitioner Out of Hours Co-operatives – which are well advanced in the Southern Health Board and countrywide as Dr Grufferty is only too well aware as the Chairman of Southdoc. GP co-operatives serve as a basis for providing appropriate easily accessible general practitioner services at nights, weekends and on bank and public holidays, but also they can be developed to provide a wider range of community based health services. This will ensure that communities, irrespective of size and distance from major urban centres, will benefit through appropriate care being provided locally.

The Glanmire Medical Centre

This family practice has come a long way since it was established by Dr Grufferty at 17 Sallybrook, Glanmire in 1984 and moved to Hazelwood in 1992 where it continued to grow with the rapidly expanding population of Glanmire. In 2002 the need to take on more doctors and staff precipitated the move to these modern premises which covers 7,000 square feet of floor space in the Crestfield Shopping Centre. These premises are specifically adapted to a standard that benefits both the staff working here and also the visiting patients. Phase one of this development was completed in July 2002 and consists of nine consulting rooms on the ground floor. There are currently eight family doctors practicing at this centre of which four are GMS GPs covering 1152 persons on their panels. Dr Grufferty is a Trainer with the Cork GP Vocational Training Programme. This is a vital function to educate the trainee GPs. It helps provide for the manpower which will be needed in general practice in the future. Trainees must be assigned to specific trainer practices during their period of vocational training. The practice also has a practice nurse, chiropodist and dietician practising at the centre.

I am delighted to be opening Phase two of this development which was completed in August of this year and coincides with the fact that this medical practice has been established in Glanmire for the last 20 years. This new phase of the development consists of a further nine consulting rooms on the first floor. These consulting rooms are to further expand existing services. These services will include physiotherapy, dental and psychology services. With the ever increasing population in Glanmire and the surrounding areas which now stands at 15,498 this medical centre will be a valuable asset to the community now and in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like once again to thank Dr Tadg Grufferty and his colleagues for inviting me here today and to wish them, their staff and patients every success here.

ENDS/ETE 1287