Ireland's public health system, the Health Service Executive (HSE), has announced the start of work on the Ballybay Primary Care Centre (PCC) in Monaghan.
The facility will cover a total area of around 13,350ft² and have three floors, offering a range of health services.
The lower ground floor will be designated for bookable rooms for HSE services, including a large adult therapy area and an adult treatment room.
It will also house essential ancillary facilities such as storage rooms, cleaner’s stores and a communications room.
On the ground floor, visitors will find clinical rooms for various HSE services, including Public Health Nursing, as well as additional bookable rooms for other services.
This level will also feature a group education and training room, a children's therapy area and a room for babies and their parents, alongside the main HSE waiting and reception areas.
The first floor is dedicated to the administration’s accommodation and will include staff welfare facilities, including a canteen, restrooms and changing areas for staff.
The Ballybay PCC is expected to be fully operational by late next year and will offer a full range of services.
These services will include public health nursing, general practitioner services, social work, counselling services, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, speech and language therapy, a smoking cessation service, and community intervention team dietetics.
The centre is part of the HSE's Enhanced Community Care (ECC) programme, which involves investing €240m ($262m) to improve community health services across Ireland.
HSE Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo Primary Care general manager Josephine Collins said: “The new centre is part of the ECC programme, which aims to enhance and increase community health services and reduce pressure on hospital services.
“The new centre will offer these services to people in the local community making access to healthcare as convenient as possible.”
The HSE recently opened the €36.7m Ballyshannon Community Hospital in County Donegal, Ireland.
