All Community Health Networks (CHN’s) covering Clare are still awaiting the appointment of a GP Lead.
There are eight Community Healthcare Networks across the HSE Mid-West region, three of which cover this county.
The HSE has described Community Health Networks as being key to the expansion of services, however, each network in this county has vacancies which need to be filled.
There are three networks in Clare: the West Clare network, which covers Ennis, Ennistymon, Kilrush and Kilkee, the East Clare Network, which covers Shannon and Sixmilebridge and the East Limerick network, which includes Killaloe.
Currently the only network in the region that has appointed a GP Lead is the learning site in South Limerick.
Notably, the West Clare community team is one of only two in this region which is also without a Network manager.
West Clares Primary Care Team is also without one administrative worker, one occupational therapist, two physiotherapists and three diabetic specialists in a full time capacity.
There are fewer vacancies in the other community networks, with one admin role still open in East Clare.
While in East Limerick, there’s one full-time speech and language therapist and one administrative support position unfilled as well as a part-time physiotherapist.
