Cllr. O’Shea said the projects are designed to move more care into the community and will lead to improvements for patients with chronic conditions, diabetes and heart failure, as well as supporting older people to be cared for in their own homes.
O’Shea said: “Sláintecare is our plan to reform the health service, dismantle the HSE and deliver more care close to home. This will take time but we want to start rewarding people who are embracing the Sláintecare vision and encourage everyone to think how we can provide more integrated care.
“That’s why my Fine Gael colleague Minister for Health Simon Harris TD established the Sláintecare Integration Fund and I am delighted we are now announcing the successful applicants with €20 million in funding for 122 projects across the country.”
Funding recipients in Cork include:
- Cork Sports Partnership – €183,246 for WellComm – Active Well Community Connect Project. This project will empower citizens to manage their own health through increased physical activity and improved diet. It demonstrates principles of service redesign and shift to care in the community.
- HSE Clinical Strategy & Programme Division – €513,000 for for Implementation of the Model of Integrated Care for Type 2 diabetes within Cork. This project will deliver integrated Care for Type 2 diabetes in the North West Cork Community Health Network. All GP practices within this network will be able to access this integrated diabetes care service. This will have a significant impact on the patient’s experience, admission rates and bed-days.
- Mercy University Hospital – €124,274 for Introduction of Molecular Laboratory in Microbiology. This project will see the introduction of a new molecular platform for the identification of bacterial and viral pathogens responsible for meningitis, gastrointestinal (enteric) diseases and respiratory infections. The molecular platform, will help facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment of patients, will promote earlier discharge and lead to improved patient outcomes.
- National Family Resource Centre Mental Health Promotion Project – €139,038 for Cork Kerry Health Wellbring Community Referral. This project is a partnership between Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Health & Wellbeing and National Family Resource Centres which will link citizens to non-clinical supports within the community to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. It will place a particular focus on socially excluded groups who have complex health needs and experience very poor health outcomes across a range of conditions.
- South/South West Hospital Group & Cork Kerry Community Healthcare Organistion – €200,000 for Urgent Ambulatory Care and Virtual Ward for the Older Person. This project will set-up a virtual ward in the community and an ambulatory model of assessment, diagnosis, by transferring care to the community, within the Cork and Kerry area in collaboration with South/SouthWest Hospital Group. Patients will be supported to have their medical needs managed at home and remain there using a virtual ward case management approach and supported by an older person outreach team to embed a hospital at home approach. This project will reduce the demand for acute hospital services.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said: “These projects show how joined-up thinking and working in partnership can help us reach Sláintecare’s goals of shifting the majority of care to the community, reducing waiting lists and improving experiences for patients and staff across the health and social care service in Ireland.”
