A cross-Border service for eating disorder sufferers is among projects to benefit from a £24 million funding boost for north/south health care announced today.
More specialist ENT, vascular and urology consultants are also being placed in acute hospitals in the Border counties as part of the EU investment.
Another initiative will see sexually transmitted infection clinics set up in Letterkenny, Omagh, Enniskillen, Monaghan, Cavan and Louth.
The €30 million from the Special EU Programmes Body will fund a total of 12 cross-Border health and social care projects up to 2013.
It will enable people living near the border to more easily access services across in the other jurisdiction.
The funding will be managed by Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) — a partnership body working on behalf of the health departments in Northern Ireland and the Republic.
"This significant investment will fund a range of innovative projects which will lead to greater access to services and improved health and care for people living in the border region," said Colm Donaghy, director general of CAWT and chief executive of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
"We already enjoy strong working relationships with health service colleagues in the South and by pooling our resources to develop these programmes, populations on both sides of the border will reap the benefits."
CAWT estimate that around 1,000 people with eating disorders will benefit from the new services.
The aim of the project is to enhance therapeutic services for sufferers and will focus on the provision of additional specialist eating disorder resources in the border region within primary care and community settings.
Other projects included in the investment are early intervention services for families troubled by alcohol related issues; enhanced support for older people and people with disabilities; tackling childhood obesity; improved support for children with autism and their families and a scheme to help pregnant women with diabetes.
The CAWT partnership members are the Southern and Western Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive in the Republic.
"The HSE is committed to continued collaboration and joint working between the health services in both jurisdictions for the benefit of local communities," said Tom Daly, Health Service Executive and member of the CAWT Management Board.
He said the funding would enable further progress and expansion of cross-Border health services.
PA