BIG READ: ‘It’s very interesting and heart-warming to see this development in Tipperary’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin officially opened the Thurles Primary Care Centre on Friday. The state-of-the-art facility is located on Mitchel Street, Thurles.

The centre opened in July and services approximately 16,207 people. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was delighted to open the centre.

“A really comprehensive service that can grow and expand - it’s the future of healthcare.

“The services here will prevent a lot of people from going to hospital and will deal with a lot of chronic disease issues in the community, which will mean far more access for people to their healthcare.

“It’s very interesting and heart-warming to see this development in Tipperary,” said the Taoiseach.
The facility

The Thurles Primary Care Centre brings together services that were previously provided by St. Mary’s Health Centre and the Primary Care Hub on the grounds of the Community Hospital of the Assumption.

The two-storey building houses a range of clinical, interview, group, diagnostic and bookable rooms, a GP service and a Community Intervention Team.

It has been developed to meet the highest infection control, safety and energy standards. The centre is part of the National Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme and Sláintecare.

“A key aim of the Sláintecare programme is the delivery of more care in or near peoples’ communities.

This facility, allied with other investments made as part of Sláintecare and the Enhanced Community Care Programme, will help to keep the people of Thurles and the surrounding areas safe, well and healthy at home for as long as possible.

“I am delighted to officially open the Thurles Primary Care Centre, and I have no doubt that it will play a key role in the delivery of high-quality healthcare in North Tipperary for generations to come,” said the Taoiseach. The facility is now servicing patients in Thurles and the surrounding areas Littleton, Moycarkey, Two-mile Borris, Ballymoreen, Rahealty, Longford Pass, Holycross, Inch, Kilrush, Ballycahill and Moyaliffe.

It has departments in psychology, antenatal outreach, child services, Diabetic Retinopathy Screening, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and more.

HSE Mid West Community Healthcare Chief Officer Maria Bridgeman said the new primary care centre is part of a bigger plan for healthcare in the midwest.

“Our staff are rightly proud of this new facility, and I want to thank all of those who have worked towards its opening.
Already, our committed team are delivering a broad range of services, all of which are enhanced by being able to come together under one roof.

“Allied to our other investments in the midwest, including the opening of other new Primary Care Centres in Ennis and Newcastle West in the coming months, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare is delivering the benefits of SláinteCare to people throughout our region.

“I also look forward to the development of further Primary Care Centres for the people of North Tipperary in Nenagh, Roscrea and Ballina over the coming years,” said Ms Bridgeman.

RESPONSE
Also attending the event where a number of councillors and TD representing the area and wider Tipperary.
Thurles-Templemore Cathaoirleach Peggy Ryan said she has personally seen the benefit of the service.

“A health centre like this is another progressive step for care in the town. They previously opened ICPOP, which is another fantastic service.

“ I was privileged to take my daughter for developmental care, so I can testify this is a fantastic service,” said Cllr Ryan.

The Integrated Care Programme for Older People, or ICPOP, is a community-based service for older people with complex needs.

It was opened in Thurles during the summer. Thurles Councillor Sean Ryan said he hopes to see more centres like this around the county.

“We are absolutely delighted to have this facility in Thurles. We have been waiting a long time for that, and there have been a lot of false dawns.

“So to see so many different sections of the health service centralised in one place will allow ease of access to so many patients.

“It’s a fantastic facility and great to see the Taoiseach open the facility, and hopefully, it will be the start of many more of these facilities throughout Tipperary,” said Cllr Ryan.

Cllr Seamus Hanafin commented on how modern and bright the facility looks. “It’s great to see this facility being opened.

“ A lot of these services were up in St Marys, which is a building opened in the 1920s and to be moving here to a bright new beautiful building like this is fantastic.

All the services are here in a modern facility to meet all the needs of Thurles and the area, and it’s great to see it open and up and running.

Senator Garret Ahearn said the new centre was a great service for Thurles and welcomed the Taoiseach in officially opening the facility.

“I think speaking to people right across Thurles, they really welcome the service. It’s been up and running for quite some time now, and people are really happy with it, so it’s a good day and very much welcomed, said Senator Ahearn.

Labour TD Alan Kelly welcomed the facility but said it and all services in Tipperary need to be better resourced.
He said he is particularly concerned about GP services and the lack of home help, therapists and nurses.

Deputy Kelly said that there is a need to look at why skilled people are leaving the country. But, centres like this one help with some of the ‘heavy lifting’ in the community, he added.

“But the building, and it’s a fantastic building, and it’s great that the Taoiseach has come here, but a building is only a building if it has the volume of resources and people that it needs.

“We really need to address that because the level of human resources across the health service is scary, and it’s the worst I’ve ever seen.

“We have a huge backlog of vacancies, and they have to be filled, said Mr Kelly.

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A huge attendance enjoyed a great night at the Anner Hotel.

A BUSY DAY IN THURLES

It was a busy day for the Taoiseach, who made several other visits while in Thurles.
On Friday morning, he visited Mary Immaculate College, whose expansion he said is great for the area.

“Thurles is emerging as a significant centre of further and higher education. It’s quite interesting and exciting for the area,” said the Taoiseach.

Then Taoiseach Martin visited the Lions Trust Stanwix housing development on which he said: “We went to the Stanwix housing development where the Lions Trust are doing a fantastic project in both restoring housing and adding new housing as well for senior citizens and those who are vulnerable; helping people back to independent living.”

He also met with We Just Want to Swim- Templemore campaigner Deirdre Ryan to discuss the ongoing situation at the Garda College, Templemore as well as dong a walking tour of Liberty Square where he greeted many locals.