State forcing Parkison’s patients to go abroad for therapy, claims expert

PATIENTS with Parkinson’s disease are having to go abroad for a revolutionary deep brain procedure because the State is not prepared to spend just €3 million on providing the same therapy in Ireland and at a much reduced cost, a medical expert has claimed.

The cost of the control therapy being provided to Irish patients in Britain is being met by the Health Service Executive (HSE), but neurosurgeon Stephen Young believes considerable cost savings could be made by providing the same therapy here.

Deep vein stimulation is a procedure that implants electronic sensors in key areas of the brain to stop the uncontrollable tremors or shakes of the hands, normally associated with Parkinson’s disease.