A HSE clinic working with marginalised people in Limerick City and across the Mid West is providing up to 2,500 consultations per year, and helping people take the lead in their own well-being through easy access treatments and supports.
Visiting the clinic, Minister for Public Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor was told that the GP-led social inclusion clinic based on Mungret Street is also potentially saving over €300,000 and 418 hospital bed nights annually by reducing acute admissions, according to an analysis conducted in collaboration with HSE Mid West Public Health.
The inclusion health clinic works with people who are homeless, people with severe addiction, migrants and refugees, and other groups.
Staffed by a GP, experienced nurses and a key worker from the Ana Liffey Drug Project, services provided include general healthcare, management of wounds and infections, mental health assessments, sexual health and contraceptive services, blood testing, vaccinations, screening, and more.
Minister Murnane O’Connor said: “If we are to improve overall population health, we must ensure that everyone in society is supported and empowered to access vital health services.”
Dr Patrick O’Donnell said the clinic aims to support people in improving their health while encouraging them to register and engage with mainstream health services.
“Every day we meet patients who are seeking to address complex health issues, and with the support of our multidisciplinary inclusion health team, we are able to begin to stabilise things and support them to engage with an array of relevant services across the region.”