Brain injury funding shortfall

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has admitted to Labour TD Michael D Higgins that funding provided nationally for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) is inadequate.

Mr Higgins said the admission was made in a letter to him that revealed a stark picture of Government neglect in such a crucial area.

The HSE information shows the authority spends less than €20 million a year on providing services for people with ABI.

Mr Higgins pointed out that the money was spread very thinly across the country, putting those facilities that do provide services under huge pressure.

“There has been little or no year-on-year increase in funding from the HSE to organisations that cater for patients with ABI and it is shamefully the case that some projects had funding cuts this year,” said Mr Higgins.

Every year about 10,000 people sustain a head injury in Ireland and accessing appropriate rehabilitation can prove hugely difficult.

Because people with ABI progress at different rates, they may need access to services at different points.

The Peter Bradley Foundation, a leading provider of services to people with ABI, was delighted Mr Higgins raised the issue of funding.

Foundation chief executive Barbara O’Connell said core funding provided by the HSE had not changed since 2004 despite a doubling of the organisation’s size yearly in response to demand for services.

“This is putting unsustainable pressure on our ability to access needs and provide appropriate services required by people with ABI across Ireland,” she said.

She also understood that the HSE had been providing funds from its existing budget as the Department of Health and Children had not ring-fenced separate funding for the provision of services to people with ABI. The foundation, established in 2000, is negotiating with the HSE for an increase in funding.