Planning permission is due to be sought from Monaghan Co Council for the development of a now disused ambulance base at the entrance of Monaghan Hospital into a new chronic disease facility. Funding has been approved for bringing the building back into use as part of an Integrated Care Programme for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease being developed between Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals. A design team has been appointed for the project. Subject to planning permission the works will go to tender and are expected to take six-eight months to complete. Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáíl Senator Robbie Gallagher told The Northern Standard this week that the recruitment of staff for the chronic disease service had commenced and the HSE was engaging with GPs in relation to its rollout.
“Staff will run clinics in different Primary Care Centres in Co Monaghan and run pulmonary rehab and cardiac rehab in different locations in the county when staff are on board,” Senator Gallagher stated. He said there would be a number of acute hospital posts, with staff based between the Cavan Chronic Disease Hub located on the grounds of Cavan General Hospital, and the “Spoke” at the refurbished ambulance base at Monaghan Hospital. “There is approval for staff to manage the 3 Chronic Disease areas – Cardiology, Respiratory and Diabetes – with each of the teams consisting of consultants, CNSs, physiotherapists, dieticians, podiatrists, psychologists, GPs and administration staff. There are also specialist posts linked to diagnostics in the areas of radiology, spirometry and…
