Number of new Donegal Primary Care services have become operational

A number of new purpose built Primary Care Services have become operational at Donegal town, Buncrana and Newtowncunningham members of the Regional Health Forum West have been told at their monthly meeting in Galway. 

Additional facilities have been approved at Dunfanaghy, Dungloe and Killybegs.

As part of the Enhanced Community Care Programme Nursing led Community Intervention Teams have also been established in each Network area, which operate from Donegal Town and Buncrana.

This is, in addition to the The Errigal Chronic Disease Hub in Letterkenny, operating from 8am to 8pm seven days per week, 365 days a year, Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer of Community Healthcare Organisation in Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo said.

The Donegal Community Intervention Team (CIT) is a new nurse-led service delivering care for patients aged 16 and over in the community.

Donegal Town Primary Care Centre

The service aims to provide enhanced acute interventions in a rapid and integrated manner to patients with acute episodes of illness who are appropriate for care in their home/community setting or at one of the CIT clinics, thus avoiding hospital admission/attendance and allowing for early discharge. 

This involves the CIT working closely with GPs and Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH), including the Emergency Department (ED).

The Community Intervention Team accepts referrals from the ED at LUH for cases that meet CIT criteria. 

This will prevent the patients having to return to the ED for review or treatment. The NowDoc service is also able to refer to the CIT if the patients’ needs meet CIT criteria.

Community diagnostic services are being expanded into the community having recently opened a new purpose built x-ray facility at the Errigal CDM Hub. 

Work will continue to develop diagnostics to reduce footfall in the acute sector.

Nurses in the Chronic Disease Management Hubs continue to provide alternative care pathways for patients in the community to empower them to self-manage and when required, to link them into the right service, at the right time, and in the right place, to enable them to access the required specialist care without needing to attend the ED.

An Integrated Working Group consisting of members from Letterkenny University Hospital, Donegal Primary Care Services and GPs is operational to identify service developments and improve pathways of care for the patient.

The new Buncrana Primary Care Centre 

A number of new purpose built Primary Care centres have been completed in the last two years close to south Donegal including Grange and Drumcliff in north Sligo.

The comments came following a question by Manorhamilton based Independent Cllr. Felim Gurn at the Forum’s monthly meeting in Galway.