Primary care centre to open in Trim

The new purpose built primary care centre at Knightsbridge Village in Trim will open in the next two months, Barchester Healthcare and the HSE has announced. The facility, one of the first primary care centres in the north east region, will deliver health and social care services to the local population in Trim and surrounding areas. Dr Aine Kenny will be moving her practice to the new primary care centre. The centre, which is currently being fitted out by contractors Sisk in conjunction with Feasible Project Management, will accommodate a HSE Primary Care Team, which will provide a range of health and social care services including GP, public health nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and social work services. A range of outreach consulting services will also be provided from the centre, as well as a child and adolescent mental health team for South Meath. The first services are due to transfer to the centre on a phased basis next month with the full range of services due to be up and running in two months time. Trim Primary Care Centre is being developed through the Primary Care Infrastructure Initiative Scheme currently being rolled out by the HSE. The HSE sought submissions from individuals/companies who were interested in developing health facilities which would accommodate the delivery of primary healthcare in conjunction with local general practitioners. This building in Trim is one of the first new primary care team centres to be provided in the north east area via this mechanism. A spokesperson for the HSE said: "This initiative supports the roll out of a national programme to develop primary care teams. It is intended to have over 500 teams in place by 2012. Each team is planned to cover a population of approximately 10,000 people. Primary care teams provide an easy access point to local health and personal social care services. Most importantly these services will be provided in a fully integrated way where all members of the team work in unison to meet the needs of the patient." Trim Primary Care Centre at Knightsbridge Village is the first such centre to be located on a shared healthcare campus, which was developed by Barchester Healthcare in 2008. Facilities on the 12-acre campus includes a 100-bed state of the art residential care home, 69 independent living bungalows and houses, a community centre, library, bowling green, hairdresser, coffee shop and chemist. "Residents can access a full range of quality accommodation, care and support services including independent living, respite and convalescent care, nursing care and these services will be greatly enhanced by the addition of the primary care services in one convenient location," said the HSE spokesperson.