Almost 700,000 people with neurological conditions cannot access neuro-rehab teams
Executive director of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, Magdalen Rogers, said “a postcode lottery now exists” for patients.
There are up to 800,000 people living with neurological conditions across the country yet only those living in two of the nine HSE regions can access community neuro-rehabilitation teams.
That is despite such teams being recommended a full 12 years ago, the Oireachtas Health Committee has been told. The conditions cover brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, stroke injuries and debilitating migraines, the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) told the committee.
The NAI now estimate 85% of neurological patients cannot access these multi-disciplinary supports with people living in the Midwest region of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary among the few who can. Executive director Magdalen Rogers said “a postcode lottery now exists” for patients.
“There is that inequality existing where people in some parts of the country can access a neuro-rehabilitation team and have been able to do so for some years now,” she said. “So we are at multiple, different streams in terms of people being able to access a neuro-rehabilitation team.”
These teams can provide vital care for patients to help them return home instead of staying in hospitals or nursing homes and can assist with return-to-work skills where appropriate. The NAI estimated up to 42,000 hospital days could be saved, with knock-on benefits for the health service as well as the individual patients.
The teams were recommended in the National Policy and Strategy for the Provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015. This said “geographical-based community neuro-rehabilitation teams” should be developed from existing staff. This was refined in the 2019 neuro-rehabilitation implementation three-year framework.
“The Neurological Alliance of Ireland is calling for funding to be allocated in this year’s Budget to enable the establishment of teams in CHOs (Community Healthcare Organisation) 5, 8 and 9 where there has been no allocation to date as well as priority action by the HSE to establish teams without delay in CHOs where funding has been made available,” Ms Rogers said.
These regions cover the southeast including south Tipperary and Waterford, as well as the Midlands and Dublin. Ms Rogers told Sinn Féin Health Spokesman, David Cullinane, Waterford should also have seven consultant neurologists but has the equivalent of 2.5. The clinical nurse specialist role for the area is also vacant.
The NAI has also campaigned for an increase in these specialist neurological nurses, resulting in a Government Budget pledge to fund 23 with over 30 new posts created through other pathways. However, Ms Rogers expressed frustration at the slow pace of recruitment.
“We understand that the letters of appointment have just gone to the hospitals this week. You may be aware the HSE Service Plan was published a number of weeks ago,” she told Senator Martin Conway.
“It needed to be published for those letters of appointment to go to the individual hospitals. I don’t think any of those nurses have been recruited as yet, because the hospitals have just been notified.
“This just brings us to little over half the specialist nurses that are needed. That is just to meet minimum requirements in the Irish health service.” She estimated around 70 are needed.
Social Democrats health spokeswoman Roisin Shortall said the HSE CEO, Bernard Gloster, will attend the committee next week, and she intends to raise these issues with him. “The battle is usually for a strategy, but you have the strategy and there doesn’t seem to be anyone driving that at HSE level,” she said.
