Caption: Frank Feighan TD,  Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being, Carmel Carthy Senior Executive Officer Primary Care Sligo, Leitrim West Cavan, Mandy Doyle Head Of Service, Primary Care Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo, Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo, Lorraine Sheridan Community Health Care Network Manager Leitrim West-Cavan, Emma Ball, General Manager Primary Care Service Sligo Leitrim West-Cavan, Suzanne Watters Business and Services Manager, Patricia Keane NowDOC Manager, Denis O'Brien Team Co-ordinator Mental Health, DrOwen Mulligan Consultant Psychiatrist Carrick on Shannon, South Leitrim and Paul Reid HSE CEO

The Benbulbin Chronic Disease Management Hub in Sligo has been described as a “fantastic development” by Consultant Dr Katherine Finan. Leading the Respiratory Outpatient clinics, Dr Finan has said it “works well for patients and staff,” adding that the hub is an example of “the drive towards integrated care.  It is one of the first in the country to have services up and running and that it is obvious that the team here has the drive and commitment to make it work.”

Dr Finan was commenting following the recent official launch of the hub along with the Carrick on Shannon Primary and Mental Health Care Centre HSE Community Healthcare Sligo, Letrim Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme by Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing Mr Frank Feighan, TD.

 National Integrated Care Programme

The Benbulbin Chronic Disease Management Hub in Ballytivnan supports the Sligo, West Cavan, South Donegal and Leitrim regions in the implementation of the National Integrated Care Programme across three Chronic Disease teams, for Respiratory Disease, Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease (COPD), Asthma, Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes.

The three teams consist of different multidisciplinary team (MDT) members, including consultants, clinical nurse specialists in diabetes, respiratory, cardiology, respiratory physiologists, cardiac physiologists, physiotherapists, dieticians, podiatrists, psychologists with administration support.

Operational since May 2021 the Carrick on Shannon centre offers Public Health Nursing, Physiotherapy (Adult and Children), Orthoptic service, Ophthalmics, Antenatal/Gynaecology clinics, Cardiac Diagnostics, NoWDOC (GP Out of Hours Service), Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Dental services, Speech and Language Therapy, Podiatry, Psychology, Community Medicine, Paediatric Consultant clinic, Smoking Cessation, Civil Marriage Ceremonies, Addiction Services, Social Prescribing, Psychiatry of Older Adults, Orthotics and Prosthetics clinic, Breastfeeding Peer support group, and Mental Health services. It is also the site of the Carrick on Shannon COVID-19 Vaccination Centre.

 ECC Programme

Developed as part of implementing Sláintecare, the ECC programme aims to ensure all HSE primary and community care services work in an integrated way to meet population health needs across Ireland, to reduce dependence on hospital services and provide access to consultant-led specialist services in the community.

The ECC programme is about enhancing and increasing community health services and reducing pressure on hospital services and is already making substantial progress nationally, reducing pressure on services and dependence on the hospital-centric model of care through enhanced and increased community services.

Outlining the latest details of the ECC programme, Paul Reid, HSE CEO noted:

“Innovative e-health, upgraded diagnostics, the more important role of GPs, and advancing care in the community are objectives we have been increasingly focused on.  COVID-19 and Sláintecare have set the scene for further radical thinking in this respect, and now this ECC programme is driving and embedding a new model of enhanced community care across Ireland.  When fully embedded it will involve 96 Community Health Networks, 30 community-based multidisciplinary teams for both older people and chronic disease, and integrated care pathways across every acute hospital and community health area in Ireland.  Traditionally in Ireland we treat too many people in hospitals and too few in the community. We are changing that through this ECC initiative.”

Minister Feighan added: “The ECC programme is a huge investment in community healthcare services in the HSE, aiming to provide more services closer to people’s homes, and provide extra services for older people, or people who live with long-term health conditions. I’m delighted to officially open both of these facilities today, knowing the value and convenience they will bring to people’s lives.”

Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer, HSE Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo concluded that “both the Benbulbin Chronic Disease Management Hub and Carrick on Shannon Primary and Mental Health Care centre are helping us to progress the ECC vision of providing accessible, integrated and high quality services closer to people’s homes. It can give fast access to specialist services in the community for older people. I want to thank the staff who have worked hard to get both facilities up and running, and who are already making a difference to the lives of thousands of people in Sligo Leitrim.”