MS Ireland care centre set for reopening next week

THE 12-bed MS Ireland care centre in Dublin should reopen to multiple sclerosis sufferers and their families next week after being closed for over a week.

MS Ireland has said the closure of the service is not related to the recent resignation of its chief executive, Graham Love, and that the closure was due to staff training aimed at making recommended improvements to the quality of the service. Up to 40 people are employed at the Rathgar premises.

MS Ireland spokesman Sean O’Riordan said Mr Love, who worked for the multiple sclerosis advocacy group for two years, resigned for personal reasons.

He will be succeeded by MS Ireland’s chief financial officer Paul Flood.

MS Ireland are currently on a mission to update their service standards and ensure better occupational therapy and physiotherapy services.

MS Ireland says the Dublin care centre, which offers respite care to families affected by MS, was closed so staff could be “trained on new care procedures”.

Last year, MS Ireland engaged Lansdowne Market Research to complete a survey on the changing needs of the 3,500 multiple sclerosis sufferers who are members of the society.

When the results of this survey were brought to the MS Ireland board of management, they brought in MS UK and an independent Irish healthcare consultancy to complete an audit of existing services, and of how standards at the care centre could be monitored and services improved for patients.

“It was recommended that more physiotherapists were made available to MS Ireland members, that MS Ireland increase services for high-dependency MS patients and that access to occupational therapists was improved.

“They also called for better home care services in the community, which could be provided by trained MS Ireland staff,” said Mr O’Riordan.

A document on the potential of greater investment in home care has been submitted to the Health Service Executive (HSE). Negotiations are ongoing.

“Respite is clearly a huge area of need but the biggest concern remains the need for more neurologists in this country. Our improved standards should make a big difference to society members and we remain in constant negotiations with the HSE to increase funding,” Mr O’Riordan said.

Sixteen neurologists work in the Irish public health services - one for every 250,000 people. The European norm is one for every 40,000 people.