Lack of neurorehabilitation teams failing people in Mayo
SIX years on from the government commitment to deliver nine fully funded community neurological rehabilitation teams across the country, the rollout has been beset by delays, with most areas of the country, including Mayo, still without any access to a team.
That’s according to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI), the national umbrella body for 40 neurological organisations, who have met with TDs and Senators at Leinster House to call for their renewed commitment in delivering on the targets outlined in the 2019 Neurorehabilitation Strategy.
As National Brain Awareness Week marks its 20th year (March 10 - 16), the NAI underscores the urgent need for dedicated community neurorehabilitation teams to address this critical issue.
There is now a significant regional inequity for patients in Mayo who have no access to community neurorehabilitation teams in the west of Ireland because of a lack of funding.
The National Neurorehabilitation Strategy published in 2019 committed to delivering specialist community teams and long-term neurorehabilitation services across the country, as well as addressing the shortfall of 171 specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation beds.
Magdalen Rogers, CEO of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, said: “Neurorehabilitation is a vital service to enable people in Mayo with neurological conditions to live their day to day lives.
“We’re calling on the government to announce a commitment to funding four community neurorehabilitation teams in this year’s budget. We want to see this commitment during their first 100 days in office, to send a clear signal they intend to deliver on the pledges within the Programme for Government to complete the national rollout of community neurorehabilitation teams and to developing more specialist inpatient rehabilitation beds and implement community based multidisciplinary rehabilitation services in each HSE Regional Health Authority Area”.
NAI is calling for funding in the upcoming budget for full community neurorehabilitation teams for the North West, North Dublin, South East and Midlands, promised since 2019.