A big boost to healthcare services in the area
11:37, 23 Dec 2025Updated 11:38, 23 Dec 2025
(Image: Getty Images)
Planning permission has been granted for a new primary care centre on the northside of Cork city, representing a major boost to healthcare services in the area as construction continues on hundreds of new homes. Cork City Council approved the application submitted by the Valley Healthcare Fund, which currently operates 20 healthcare centres across Ireland.
The green light has been given for the construction of a four-story primary care centre along the Ballyhooly Road in Ballyvolane, which will reduce the need for local residents to travel into the city centre for non-emergency hospital care. The care centre will support the continued growth of the northside, with the site located just a short drive from one of Cork city’s largest housing developments.
Primary care centres provide a range of medical services, including public health nursing, dental services, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and community mental health supports. The centre, located along the Ballyhooly Road, will also provide space for two new GP practices, thereby relieving the pressure on other doctors’ offices across the city.
Planning has been granted for a four-story structure with attached GP practices on the ground floor, a retail space that could house a pharmacy, on-site parking, and a solar array to help power the care centre. Permission has also been granted for the construction of new internal roads, footpaths, and all associated site works.
In its planning statement, Valley Healthcare said that the primary care centres provide a ‘local alternative’ to hospitals, serving as the first point of contact for patients requiring care for long-term conditions. Primary care centres will also be able to refer patients with complex or urgent conditions directly to hospitals, thereby reducing the workload of overcrowded A&E departments.
The centre is located just a few minutes down the road from a large residential housing development in Ballyvolane, which will bring more than 700 homes to the northside in the coming years.
This planning approval follows the opening of Cork’s new ‘NorthDoc’ clinic – an out-of-hours medical practice in Gurranebraher, which recently accepted its first patients. Up until now, northsiedrs have had to attend the SouthDoc clinic at the Kinsale Road for out-of-hours care, a journey that can take up to 45 minutes in heavy traffic.
NorthDoc currently operates from 9 am to 9 pm on weekends and certain weekday evenings, depending on GP availability. The clinic is in the process of hiring additional staff, with a full-time GP set to join in January, which will enable them to operate with more consistent opening hours.
NorthDoc is keeping locals informed of their December opening hours via social media, and you can find all the required information here. The clinic also offers oral surgery services on select days, subject to the availability of a dental practitioner.
Right now, locals can attend the clinic either as a walk-in or by calling ahead to book a slot, with visits priced at €50 each. Patients have been warned that the clinic has limited parking available, and those who need to make use of it have been advised to call ahead.