Published: Tuesday, 30th December, 2008 1:00pm

€100,000 funding injection for South Westmeath Hospice

South Westmeath Hospice is to receive a much needed funding boost of €100,000 for their palliative care development in the grounds of St Vincent"s Hospital.

The grant, announced just prior to the Christmas break by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Minister of State with responsibility for Older People, Máire Hoctor, and Professor Brendan Drumm, CEO of the Health Service Executive, was one of the 120 small-scale health and community projects in RAPID areas nationwide supported to the tune of €3.1m.

'It is well recorded that people from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas have a shorter life expectancy than the average. This is often due to lifestyle issues and community care issues, not acute care provision. Providing better community care services for the elderly in RAPID areas through this funding is another small step in eliminating this fundamental inequality,' Minister O"Cuiv commented.

Meanwhile Professor Drumm said the HSE was delighted to be associated with the HSE / DCRAGA RAPID Health Leverage Fund. 'This work supports our emphasis on providing more care to people within their communities. This approach of reducing our reliance on the acute hospital system for care that can be provided through community based facilities can be far more convenient and deliver better quality care.'

Minister for Older People Máire Hoctor said the new RAPID Health Leverage Fund is an excellent example of effective cross- departmental and cross agency co-operation that will help improve health services in the RAPID communities. She added the projects that will receive funding through this programme are important to each of the local communities involved and support the Government"s commitment to improving quality of life in these areas.