ABOUT US

Safetynet Board of directors

• Kevin Kenny -Data Analyst - Quest Computing

• Dr. Brian Melaugh - lecturer in the Department of Applied Social Studies Maynooth University  https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/brian-melaugh

• Dr. Cliona Ní Cheallaigh - Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine physician in St James’s Hospital, Dublin, and Senior Lecturer in Medical Gerontology in Trinity College Dublin. https://tilda.tcd.ie/people/profile/cnicheallaigh/

• Síle Kelly, Accountant & Supply Finance Transformation Manager, Diageo

• Frank Mills -Former HSE General Manager (*retired)

• Dr. Philip Wiehe MRCGP, Director for GP Training http://www.sundrivemedicalcentre.ie/about-us.html

• Frances O’Keefe -Public Health Nurse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubxICISB5Ug

• David Cagney -Chief Human Resources Officer in the Dept of Public Expenditure and Reform  https://www.gov.ie/en/biography/a6dbe3-david-cagney/

Dr Enda Barron

MICGP, MB, BCH, BAO, LRCP & SI, MBA, MSc, BSC 

MCN 406448 

Dr Enda Barron graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in 2012, and trained as a GP on the North Dublin City GP scheme, graduating in 2017. Enda joined Safetynet Primary care after graduating and currently leads the Safetynet Clinical team providing Primary Care to homeless people at hostels throughout the city. He is also employed pat time by the HSE as a GP in the Addiction Services and as a sessional doctor with the Gay Man’s Health Service. 

In his role as Clinical Lead with Safetynet Primary Care, Enda provides GP services to people who are homeless. Enda is on call 2 nights per week providing clinical oversight for the GP Registrars providing out of hours care on the Safetynet health unit that brings care to rough sleepers. 

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As the GP representative of Safetynet Primary Care, Enda was instrumental in establishing the highly successful homeless multi-disciplinary team meetings at Merchants Quay Ireland (a drop-in service for homeless persons and drug users). 

Dr Angy Skuce

MB BCh BAO BA, MICGP, MRCGP

MCN 012553

Dr Angy Skuce graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1988 and completed her GP training in 1992.  Since qualifying, she has worked in France, UK and Canada.  Dr Skuce is currently the Medical Director of Safetynet Primary Care and continues to work as a GP with the HSE Addiction Services, the Capuchin Clinic (Primary Care for people who have no other access - many are non-English speaking migrants), Simon Respite/Stabilisation unit (for people with Blood Borne Virus'), Simon Step Up Step Down Unit (intermediate care centre for homeless people) and CRVP (self-isolation facility for vulnerable people).

These roles combine to give her much experience working with vulnerable people, including asylum seekers and regularly works with interpreters. 

Dr Fiona O’Reilly

PhD, CEO Safetynet Primary Care

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Dr Fiona O’Reilly has devoted her career over the past 3 decades working in the health care area, both nationally and internationally – with a focus on and passion for achieving health equity for all and bringing humanitarianism home.

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As CEO of the Medical Charity Safetynet Primary Care she has led the organisation to adapt and change to respond to the Covid crisis to protect the heath of marginalised groups and particularly those living in congregated settings. Safetynet has established a Covid Helpline for triage and testing, a community assessment hub for assessment of Covid positives and presumed positives and a cluster response unit to respond to outbreaks in settings such as Direct Provision Centres, homeless hostels and Traveller halting sites.

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In Fiona’s earlier carer she established and managed programmes in war torn countries (e.g. Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia) and conducted evaluations in Afghanistan, Zambia and Kenya. 

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Fiona trained as a RGN and RSCN and has a MSc from TCD in Community Health. Her PhD thesis "Reality or Rhetoric, Community Involvement in Primary Care in North Inner City Dublin" allowed her to critically review primary care in the context of urban deprivation. Fiona’s Post doctoral research at the Dept. of Anthropology at NUI Maynooth allowed her gain an understand of the culture and nature of addiction in deprived communities. She worked as a Senior Research Fellow in Social Inclusion, at the Partnership for Health Equity (www.healthequity.ie/about-us) – leading the research study for the 'Homelessness: An Unhealthy State' report (www.healthequity.ie/our-work)

​Fiona is also a founding director of the Emergency Nutrition Network (www.ennonline.net).She previously worked as director for the Agency for Personnel Services Overseas (APSO) Humanitarian Assistance Training Programme and has taught on a number of MSc training programmes (TCD, UCD, RCSI).

Fiona currently is also the Assistant Programme Director (Part Time) on the North Dublin City GP Training Programme, based at UCD’s Catherine McAuley Centre in Dublin.

Media Articles: These can be found at: https://www.primarycaresafetynet.ie/news

HISTORY

Safetynet began as ‘Safetynet Ireland’, a network for health professionals and organisations working to improve health care access for homeless people. The organisation was incorporated in 2007 and later received charity status. In 2015 Safetynet changed its mandate and name to become Safetynet Primary Care and include health care service provision among its core activities. In 2017 Safetynet continues its networking remit, facilitating coordinated health care through a shared electronic patient record system. Safetynet now employs GPs, nurses and support workers to provide services to homeless people and vulnerable groups. Safetynet Primary Care continues to identify gaps in health services and facilitate the development of new services with the aim of ensuring equitable health care for all. Safetynet is part funded by the HSE and receives voluntary donations.