October 30, 2023
47,000 citizens benefit in the border region
The cross border Health and Social Care Partnership, Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) has published its 2022/23 Annual Progress Report. The Report provides an overview of the activities, achievements and challenges of the CAWT Partnership. In particular, the Annual Progress Report provides a snapshot of the Partnership’s progress in the implementation of its suite of EU INTERREG VA funded projects.
The Annual Progress Report notes that up to March 2023, a total of 47,000 citizens have received services from CAWT’s EU funded projects, spanning the areas of acute, mental health, children’s services, older people’s services and community-based health and well-being programmes, over a 5 year lifespan.
Reflecting on CAWT Annual Progress Report highlights, CAWT Director General and Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Neil Guckian, said: “Thanks to the grant funding investment from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), via the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, thousands of citizens have received services and interventions, delivered by our own health and social care staff, and also from programmes developed and delivered by our community and voluntary partners. He added: “The considerable progress achieved by CAWT’s EU funded projects would not have been possible without the contribution, dedication and commitment of many health and social care personnel, along with partners in the community and voluntary sector. I wish to commend each and every one for their endeavours and extend my thanks to them for their commitment to our citizens and communities.”
The CAWT Partnership, in existence for 31 years, has a track record in successfully delivering EU funded cross border health and social care services and projects. During the 2017 to 2023 timeframe, CAWT managed and implemented five large scale projects utilising EU grant funding of €32.2m from the INTERREG VA Programme. At the heart of these projects was the involvement of community and voluntary sector partners, who brought their community focus and person centered approach to the table.
According to Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer, HSE’s Community Healthcare, CDLMS: “It is inspiring to see how the EU investment secured by the CAWT Partnership has enabled us, along with our community stakeholders, to provide additional high quality, client and patient services in border regions. This engagement also facilitated the development of strong cross-border collaborative relationships and networks to support reforms currently underway within the two jurisdictions.” He added: “We are thankful to SEUPB and both Departments of Health for their support and insight throughout.”
Commenting on future plans Cathy McCloskey, CAWT’s Chief Officer noted: “Our considerable success in and experience of delivering EU funded projects has given the Partnership a strong bedrock as we prepare to submit applications to the new EU PEACE PLUS programme. All of the CAWT partner organisations, which include the Health Service Executive, the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, the Public Health Agency, and the Strategic Planning and Performance Group, are collaborating in developing strong applications.” She added: “We are grateful for the support and expertise from the health and social care service managers and clinicians participating in CAWT Strategy Groups doing the detailed planning for PEACEPLUS submissions.”
The CAWT Partnership was established in 1992 to enable the Health and Social Care statutory partner organisations to work together to improve the health and well-being of the border populations, by sharing information and working across boundaries and jurisdictions.
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