GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

2 of the Government’s most significant
projects. In October of this year, works
will have been completed to deliver
a new and fully bespoke 3-storey
Primary Care Centre in the grounds of
St Bernard’s Hospital.
CHILDREN’S HEALTH CENTRE
We were incredibly proud to inaugurate
the Children’s Health Centre: one of
the Government’s flagship projects.
The premises are a fully child-friendly
environment, which represents the
culmination of 24 months of work and
is the fulfilment of a key manifesto
commitment.
The Children’s Health Centre is
located in Block 9 of Europort, which
is less than a two-minute walk from
St Bernard’s Hospital. Ramp access
leads to the bright and modern main
entrance with clear signage. The main
area boasts ample area for prams and
buggies and enjoys floor-to-ceiling
windows that look out over the GHA
gardens and the sea. This space is
complemented by a quiet and private
room for breastfeeding. At the end
of the reception area, there is a clean
open play area with specially selected
toys. Seven spacious and fullyequipped
dental clinics are found in
this area.
On the right side next to the main
entrance is the Child Health area
where child health surveillance takes
place. Near the Child Health area,
the out-patient area is located with
five dedicated clinic rooms staffed by
various child healthcare professionals.
The commencement of services, which
was structured into 3 phases, is well
on track, with the 3rd phase nearing
completion. Since the inauguration, the
provision of children’s mental health
services, dental services, specialised
GP clinics, nurse practitioner clinics,
and community midwifery services
has been transferred to the new
Centre. These services complement
Neurodisability assessments by
paediatric multidisciplinary teams,
paediatric physiotherapy, occupational
therapy, speech and language therapy,
and dietetics and diabetes clinics,
which commenced delivery when the
centre was inaugurated.
The migration of routine GP services
for children to the new Centre will
commence in October. Patients and
parents will, therefore, have the choice
of attending the Children’s Health
Centre for a routine GP appointment
or seeing their family GP in the Primary
Care Centre.
We are in the latter stages of finalising
arrangements for the installation of a
lift, adjacent to the stairs leading up
to the centre, to provide better access
to persons with additional mobility
needs. The lift will be operational at
the beginning of November. Parking
spaces will also be made available
opposite the entrance to the Centre.
The parking will work on a ‘pay as
you go’ basis, with up to two-hours
free parking for persons attending
the Centre. The new facility will be
operational in mid-November.
The feedback received from the
general public and staff has been
overwhelmingly positive. We are
now seeing the fruits of over two
years of work and planning to fulfil
one of this Government’s landmark
projects: to provide, for the very first
time in Gibraltar, a fully child-friendly
environment where our excellent
health care professionals can deliver
primary and secondary care to a most
cherished sector of our community.
The more elective primary care aspect
of services in the Children Health
Centre will be fully complemented by
the new Primary Care Centre, which
will continue to provide services to
children, especially children with acute
illness. The new Primary Care Centre
based in St Bernard’s Hospital will be
in an enhanced position to provide
the desired care for the acutely unwell
child by virtue of the physical proximity
to comprehensive A&E services and
the full Paediatric team housed on the
same site as St Bernard’s Hospital.
The Child Health Centre is symbolic
of the marked improvements in
healthcare across the GHA. The
opening of the Children’s Health
Centre will forever be a memorable
moment of deep satisfaction and
pride for the Government. This
Children’s Health Centre is something
incredibly special, modern, and to rival
leading healthcare systems in other
countries. This project, along with the
new Primary Care Centre, will be the
launchpad for many more reforms and
enhancements in care as both primary
and secondary care become so much
closer and more integrated.
NEW PRIMARY CARE CENTRE
Works are almost finished for the
building of a new, purpose built
Primary Care Centre, adjacent to St
Bernard’s Hospital. The brand new,
three-storey building is set to be
inaugurated in October. The modern
and future-proof design provides
our community with a more patientfriendly
centre where wide-ranging
and comprehensive primary care
services will be delivered.
ANOTHER FLAGSHIP
POLICY
SECONDARY CARE SERVICES
With the GHA, we have embarked
on an ambitious programme of
transformation to ensure that our
community receives health care of
the highest standard locally, wherever
possible, or through one of our
partner health care providers. This is
underpinned by the recent launch by
the Government and the GHA of the
GHA Constitution and Values and the
setting up of a Clinical Governance and
Informatics Department.
KIDNEY DIALYSIS
We ensured sufficient funding for
the GHA to recruit a full time Renal
Specialist Consultant. He has actively
engaged with the passionate Gibraltar
Dialysis Association to help him develop
a service of the highest standards.
MATRONS
The Government was keen for the
Gibraltar Health Authority to bring
back the post of matron at St Bernard’s
Hospital. Following advice from our
clinicians, the position was brought
back to further improve the patient
experience and coordinate the changes
in systems for enhanced and safe highquality
health care in conjunction
with the Nurse Management Team.
The 2 matrons are an asset across
multidisciplinary clinical areas and
provides a source of information and
choice for patients.
REPATRIATION OF SERVICES
...aspire to the best Gibraltar 101