May 21, 2018
13,000 patients to benefit from cross border services
An €8.8 million EU INTERREG VA funded cross-border project has been launched today. The CAWT Acute Services Project has recently secured this EU funding to assess and treat higher volumes of patients more effectively through improvements to and modernisation of current service delivery models.
This EU funding allocation has been secured by the Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) Health and Social Care Partnership. This Partnership comprises the HSE, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the Public Health Agency and the Health and Social Care Board.
Pictured at the launch of the €8.8 million EU INTERREG VA funded CAWT cross border Acute Hospital Services Project. Back row(left to right): Louise Potts, CAWT Acute Project Manager; Dr Ray Nethercott, Consultant Paediatrician; Western Health and Social Care Trust; Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT and Gina McIntyre, CEO, Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Front row (left to right): Alastair Campbell, Director of Secondary Care, Dept of Health Northern Ireland; Dr Margaret Whoriskey, Scottish Government and Sean Murphy, General Manager, Letterkenny University Hospital, HSE.
Pictured at the launch of the €8.8 million EU INTERREG VA funded CAWT cross border Acute Hospital Services Project today. Left to right: Dr Margaret Whoriskey, Scottish Government; Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT; Edel O’Doherty, Deputy Chief Officer, CAWT; Gina McIntyre, CEO, Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and Alastair Campbell, Director of Secondary Care, Dept of Health Northern Ireland.
Both scheduled and unscheduled care services will be reformed and modernised as part of this cross border EU funded project. The scheduled care activities focus on the specialities of dermatology, urology and vascular interventions. Unscheduled care initiatives being implemented include new advanced community paramedic services, clinical decision unit, community cardiac investigations and a community geriatrician led service.
It is also planned to establish an integrated clinical dermatology network using telehealth technologies. Other additional technology solutions will be investigated and implemented to enable clinicians to communicate with patients outside of the acute hospital setting. Specialist training for staff across all of these areas will be undertaken to support the development and implementation of these new and innovative ways of working.
Opening the launch event, Project Chair Sean Murphy, General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital said: “It is a great privilege to be part of the CAWT cross border group that has secured this additional investment for communities and services. The collaborative working required to deliver this suite of initiatives, with the support of the EU funding, will provide patients with additional quality services and, in many situations, enable them to be treated much closer to home.” He added: “This project will also help to further strengthen and consolidate cross border and north / south co-operation in health and social care.”
Welcoming the launch of the CAWT Acute Hospitals Services project, Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body said: “This highly innovative EU INTERREG VA funded project will deliver real efficiencies in vital health and social care services for the benefit of thousands of people on a cross-border basis. It will utilise some of the latest advances in e-health technology and enhance access to essential medical care used in the treatment of a wide-range of life-threatening illnesses.”
Commenting, Alastair Campbell, Director of Secondary Care in the Department of Health in Northern Ireland said: “The Department is delighted to be providing match-funding to this CAWT cross border project. The aims and objectives of the project support the Department of Health’s priorities for a modern health and social care service, in particular the focus on new ways of working across traditional organisational boundaries, the use of technology to drive better services, and ultimately, care that is designed around patients. He added: “I have no doubt that this project will provide valuable learning for other transformation projects underway in health and social care in Northern Ireland.”
Speaking at the event on behalf of Scottish partners in the project, Dr Margaret Whoriskey, Head of Technology Enabled Care and Digital Healthcare Innovation at the Scottish Government said: “I am absolutely delighted to be present at the launch of the CAWT Acute Hospitals Services Project which involves the development of community paramedic services and dermatology services across the West coast of Scotland along with partners in the Ireland and Northern Ireland border region. This project will enable joint planning and delivery of new service models and provides significant opportunities to share learning and best practice between jurisdictions.”
Commenting on the EU investment, Damien McCallion, Director General CAWT, said: “This is an important EU funded project which is taking a cross border approach in order to improve access to services for people living in border areas in particular. He added: “The CAWT Acute Hospital Services project is supporting the investment and reforms underway in our health services, which places primary and community care at the heart of health care delivery and the enhancing of capacity within acute hospital services.”
Dr Ray Nethercott, Consultant Paediatrician at the Western Health and Social Care Trust also spoke at the event about cross border information exchange.
Match-funding for the project has been provided by both Departments of Health in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
- The CAWT Acute Hospitals Services project is scheduled to complete in 2022.
- The CAWT Acute Hospitals Services Project partners are the HSE, Western Health and Social Care Trust; Southern Health and Social Care Trust; Public Health Agency, Health and Social Care Board, and the Ambulance Services of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
- The CAWT Acute Hospitals Service Project has received grant funding totalling €8.8 million and is funded through the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, and match funded by the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish Government and the Scottish Government.
- The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU Structural Funds Programmes, PEACE IV and INTERREG VA which are designed to enhance cross-border cooperation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The Programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and in the case of INTERREG VA, Western Scotland.
- The INTERREG VA Programme has a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contribution of €240 million and aims to address the economic and social problems which result from the existence of borders.
For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu
CAWT Acute Hospitals Service project – scheduled and unscheduled care activities by location
HSE (Saolta Hospital Group Area)
Advanced Paramedic Services Buncrana & Carndonagh area of Co. Donegal
Geriatrician Led Service Sligo area
A&E Reform A & E services in all areas
Cardiac Investigations Sligo area
Urology Letterkenny General Hospital
Vascular Letterkenny General Hospital
Dermatology Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo areas
HSE (RSCI Hospital Group Area)
Advanced Paramedic Services Monaghan area
A&E Reform A & E services in all areas
Dermatology Louth, Monaghan and Cavan areas
Western Health and Social Care Trust (NI)
Advanced Paramedic Services Castlederg area in Co Tyrone
Geriatrician Led Service South Fermanagh area
A&E Reform A & E services in all areas
Cardiac Investigations South Fermanagh area
Urology Western Health and Social Care Trust area
Vascular Western Health and Social Care Trust area
Dermatology Western Health and Social Care Trust area
Southern Health and Social Care Trust (NI)
A&E Reform A & E services in all project partner areas
Clinical Decision Unit Southern Health and Social Care Trust area
Dermatology Southern Health and Social Care Trust area
Scotland
Advanced Paramedic Services Argyle area of Scotland
Dermatology NHS Tayside, Scotland and NHS Clyde and Greater Glasgow