Local health centre could open this year

A NEW primary care centre for Lucan has been approved by the HSE and could open within the year, The Gazette can reveal.
The centre will be built in the Ballyowen Castle Shopping Centre and will serve as a multi-purpose health facility for the Greater Lucan Area.
As a public-private partnership the HSE will now seek out private funding to build the facility, which will then be leased back to the HSE.
The building will mean that all health and social care services in Lucan will be located in one multi-purpose building.
The clinic will incorporate a GP, public health nurses, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, a dietician, social work and psychological services, along with the development of an x-ray service and a blood analysis service.
Crucially, traffic will be managed by adding another entrance to the shopping centre, somewhere along the Outer Ring Road.
Added to that, no parking spaces are expected to be lost at the busy shopping centre, as the centre will be built on supports, much like the Cherry Orchard health centre.
Fine Gael TD Derek Keating, who this week received the confirmation from the HSE, said that the facility would open new avenues of treatment to residents.
“The development of a primary care service is an essential component of this Government’s health policy, and it will give the residents of Lucan direct access to an integrated multi-disciplinary team based in the community.
“I am really excited that Lucan will finally have this primary care facility. Health is at the centre of this Government’s recovery policy.
“Remember, two years ago when we entered Government, we committed to protecting our health service from collapse.
“Already in Dublin Mid-West, a wonderful primary care centre is in full operation at Cherry Orchard Hospital, providing excellent community-based medical intervention for the residents of Palmerstown and some parts of Clondalkin.
“I am delighted that Lucan will get its new primary health centre,” said Deputy Keating
The facility is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to be completed, after the necessary contracts and planning processes are competed.
A HSE spokesperson had not responded to a request for comment by the time of going to print.