No cash for new city health hubs ‘til 2021

Under the radical health care rationalisation plan ‘Transforming Your Care’ future provision will feature primary care delivered at various primary care hubs like GP practices and health centres. Two new centres are proposed for Londonderry.

Sinn Féin MLA Maeve McLaughlin asked Health Minister Edwin Poots whether he intended reactivating plans to build a new Health and Social Care Centre in the city.

Mr Poots said ‘Transforming Your Care’ “includes an illustrative model of the proposed hubs and spokes, which includes two health and care centres in Derry – Waterside and Cityside.”

He stated: “Under the plans for the implementation of ‘Transforming Your Care’ which is currently the subject of public consultation, there is a proposal to continue with the development of a ‘hub and spoke’ model for health and care centres across the region.

“At present, primary care services are delivered through a range of facilities such as GP practices and health and care centres which deliver varying levels of service depending on local needs.

“The consultation document includes an illustrative model of the proposed hubs and spokes, which includes two health and care centres in Derry - Waterside and Cityside.”

But he said he had no money to build them until 2021.

“Due to capital budgetary constraints, the funding of all of these centres through capital funding is not included in the current ISNI period (up to 2021),” he advised.

The only way they will be built, according to Mr Poots, is through private finance initiatives.

“I have, therefore, set up a Health Infrastructure Board to explore alternative funding models through a private financing model.

“Depending on the outcome of this work and the outcome of the consultation, it may be possible to progress the plans for a new HCC in Derry sooner than would be possible under capital funding,” he stated.