Patients at risk as State fails to deliver

THE Health Strategy outlined in 2001 is in tatters. It promised an action plan for rehabilitation and physiotherapy, as well psychological assessment for thousands of people with neurological conditions, but six years later the plan has still not been implemented.

In 2003, Comhairle na nOspidéal, the National Hospital’s Office, recommended that there should be one neurologist per 100,000 people or 42 neurologists for our populations, but there are still only 17 neurologists in the whole country.

Last year, Comhairle na nOspidéal recommended that 16 neurosurgeons were needed nationally, but there are only nine and no new posts have been created in recent years. It is shocking to think that there could be such government ineptitude in a period of unprecedented affluence.

Some 500,000 Irish people suffer some form of neurological illness such as epilepsy, migraine, depression, Parkinson’s disease or various forms of dementia, but they have to wait for up to two years for treatment and even then the treatment is inadequate. Patients in need of regular weekly treatment are only treated every couple of months, according to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland.

These problems are the result of the Government’s failure to deliver on its promises. It not only failed to provide new positions, but also allowed a number of surgical posts to be left vacant for years, while the condition of patients on waiting lists deteriorated unnecessarily.

The HSE is undertaking a review of neurological services in Ireland that it expects to publish shortly.

In this Brain Awareness Week, more administrative dithering makes no sense.

What we need is action now, not a review of the inaction.