Ireland ‘has lowest number of neurologists in Western world’

IRELAND has 14 neurologists, compared to 123 in Albania, a consultant revealed yesterday.

And the number of experts providing care nationwide has not increased over the past 20 years, despite all the other medical advances.

There are no rehabilitation services for those hospitalised in Munster and those with brain injuries or neurological diseases have to travel to Dún Laoghaire, consultant neurologist at Cork University Hospital, Dr Brian Sweeney said.

The country’s 14 consultants and the four in private practices in Dublin and in Tralee are struggling to give patients the time they need.

Clinical guidelines suggest new patients receive a minimum of a half-hour per consultation. But in reality, consultants are lucky to be able to dedicate 15 minutes per patient, he said.

“Ireland has the lowest number of neurologists per population in the Western world, possibly in the world. The recent census shows us there are 1.1 to 1.2 million people in Munster alone. We have three neurologists based in Cork.

“That gives us a ratio of one neurologist per 400,000 people. We have the same number of neurologists as in 1984. Ireland has gone through a massive boom in all kinds of ways. Yet the number of neurologists has remained static,” he told the Headway Ireland gathering on neurological needs in Waterford yesterday.

There are no permanent neurologists in the South Eastern Health Board area or the Mid Western Health Board area, Dr Sweeney said. “There is nobody in Waterford or Limerick, the main urban centres in Munster outside of Cork. We have the lowest number per population in any part of the EU or even among the accession countries. Albania [pop: 3.5m] have 123 in the public sector, we have 14.

“Certain guidelines recommend that new neurological consultations should take 30 minutes. Even that is not very long. I’m in a situation where on a Friday, I could see 14 to 16 patients, as opposed to the suggested six to eight.”