Sustainable health services needed for Donegal Islands, meeting hears

 

The inaugural meeting of the CHO 1 Islands Services Project Group has heard that a significant amount of work needs to be undertaken over the coming months and years, to ensure high quality sustainable health services for the Islands population.
The HSE Primary Care Island Services Review Report (2017) was formally launched in November 2018 bringing about the establishment of the HSE Primary Care Island Services Project.
The review, aims to develop a sustainable, cost effective quality and fair Primary Care service on the islands off the coast of Ireland.
The inaugural meeting of the Islands Services Project Group on Arranmore Island heard from a number of islands representatives as well as John Hayes, Chief Officer CHO 1 and Chair of the Island Services Project Board.
He highlighted the importance of collaborative working with the Island communities and local interagency groups in addressing the recommendations contained in the report.
He also said that there is a significant amount of work to be undertaken over the coming months and years, to ensure high quality sustainable health services for the Islands population.
However, he added that despite the challenges, the HSE is committed to ensuring this work is progressed in a coordinated manner, with the voice of the Islander’s central to the process and that the meeting marked the beginning of an exciting chapter in the journey towards the provision a fair, high quality and sustainable Primary Care services to Island communities in Donegal.