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Faculty of Health Sciences

Action Area: Service Needs

Strategic Objectives 2022-27

  1. To increase healthcare integration, efficiency, quality and responsiveness to community needs.
  2. To ensure equity in healthcare provision and for marginalised individuals and groups.
  3. To maximise health, well-being and patient experience of care through prevention, health promotion and care.
  4. To support data stewardship ensuring that data collected about members of the community by partners is used to plan and monitor services for the benefit of the community and where appropriate to support research.

Focal Project: HANA Study

Background

The HANA Research Study (Health Assets and Needs Assessment) for Tallaght was last undertaken in 2014, the findings of which led to significant changes to the healthcare delivery in the area. The outcomes report can be found here (opens as a PDF).

A video overview of the HANA 2014 study can be found here:

HANA 2023

As a result of the positive impact of the HANA study on healthcare delivery in the Tallaght area, the APCC have proactively secured funding to conduct HANA 2023.

Impact of HANA 2014

A HANA Implementation Group was established which involved all of the key members/stakeholders, and it was as a result of this implementation Group, using the data from HANA 2014, that the following changes were made to healthcare delivery in the Tallaght area.

   
Develop, implement and evaluate interventions to tackle sedentary behaviour and encourage physical activity.

South Dublin County Council have received significant amount of funding from Healthy Ireland that was given to the Local Sports Partnerships. The HANA project informed the work of key community officers.

The ExWell programme has been rolled out in the area, and funding had been confirmed to run for the next 3 years. [until 2025]

The rationale behind ExWell Medical is that a large proportion of the disability and unwellness that comes with any long-term illness is caused by becoming deconditioned. ExWell Medical offers community-based supervised exercise classes, as well as home programmes to people with many different long-term illnesses. The Academic Primary Care Centre (APCC) – with membership from TCD (institute of Population Health), local GP’s, and TUH are undertaking a research project to evaluate the benefit of this programme.
Focus on the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory problems, which are the three major chronic diseases, reported in Tallaght.

The HSE’s Enhanced Community Care (ECC) programme was launched last year with the aim enhancing and increasing community health services and reducing pressure on hospital services. This means more services closer to where people live. Especially for older people and people with chronic disease. The specific focus of the programme is older persons, heart disease, diabetes and respiratory problems- which were aligned to the areas identified in the HANA report. ECC is a €240 million investment in community health services that is part of the Sláintecare programme.

The Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) aligned to Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin South, Kildare, West Wicklow Community Healthcare (DSKWWCH) was set up in 2016 as a pioneer site. The ICPOP trans-disciplinary team under the clinical governance of Prof. Sean Kennelly, manage and co-ordinate care for the older person with complex care needs across acute, community, primary care and voluntary organisations.

The ICPOP team work across the clinical areas of Frailty, Falls and Dementia and utilise a case management approach to effectively meet the care needs of an older person in crisis. The ICPOP Team complete a comprehensive geriatric assessment with all service users in their own homes. 

Further investment in 2021/2022 resulted in the creating of a 2nd ICPOP team, under the clinical governance of TUH/ CHO7.