Speaking at the event, the minister said: “It is my aim to develop integrated and responsive primary and community care services that will benefit all those who live in Northern Ireland. Health and Care Centres, such as the Carlisle Centre, will help deliver this policy.
“These services will help us to affect a fundamental shift in healthcare provision from the acute sector into the community, and that is why my department has invested £10million into developing the Carlisle Centre. The centre will bring a wide range of high quality services in state-of-the-art facilities to people, closer to where they live and work.
“Facilities like this will also enable us to bring together health and social care professionals and offer opportunities for the delivery of co-ordinated services to meet the needs of patients.”
The Carlisle Health & Care Centre is one of four planned centres for north and west Belfast providing integrated person centred services through a ‘one-stop shop’ approach.
Notes to Editors:
- The department's modernisation policy, set out in Developing Better Services (2002), proposed the links with primary and community care services
- An allocation to improve the infrastructure in the community to support care nearer to where people live, especially for older persons and those with disabilities was included in the £3.3billion investment programme announced for health and social services over the next ten years as part of the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland.
- It is planned, subject to the availability of resources, to put in place over 40 health and care centres and other primary and community care facilities. Health and Care Centres are also known as Health and Wellbeing Centres and Community Care and Treatment Centres.
- 'Caring for People Beyond Tomorrow' was developed as an integral part of the Department's Regional Strategy, focusing on the future, considering the potential changes and challenges that primary care, along with the wider health and social care service, are likely to meet. These include changes in the population, increased incident of long-term conditions, technological advances and many developments brought about by people involved in delivering primary health and social care services.
- A copy of the Primary Care Strategic Framework 'Caring for People Beyond Tomorrow' can be obtained from: Primary Care Development Unit, Castle Buildings, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SQ. It is also available on the Department's website at: www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/publications/2005/cfpbt05.asp
- The population in the North and West Belfast area served by these services is over 173,000. The Carlisle and Grove Centres are operational in North Belfast and centre will also be built in the Andersonstown and Shankill areas.
- For all media queries, please contact Sarah Williams, DHSSPS Information Office on 028 9052 2841 or 07791 149246. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.
