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| For all press queries, contact Mags Rogers, Development Manager, Neurological Alliance of Ireland at 086 1216957 or naiireland@eircom.net.
4th August 2010
Joint Oireachtas Committee Supports Campaign for a National Programme for Neurological Care
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children has supported the Neurological Alliance of Ireland's call for a national programme for neurological care and will be writing to the Minister for Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, urging them to put such a plan in place.
Despite the fact that over 700,000 people are living with neurological conditions in this country and 44,000 are diagnosed each year, the response of our health service to meeting their needs continues to be hampered by a lack of investment and planning.
The NAI campaign, VOTE FOR THINKING AHEAD calls for a national programme for neurological care that will see the HSE prioritise service development and spending in this area. Members of the public are asked to sign an online petition on the NAI website, www.nai.ie. The campaign is supported by the over thirty charities and other groups that are members of the NAI.
The NAI campaign for a National Programme for Neurological Care VOTE FOR THINKING AHEAD was developed to coincide with the recent launch of the NAI report "The Future for Neurological Conditions in Ireland: A challenge for healthcare; an opportunity for change". This landmark report brought together leading clinicians, academics and health agencies, as well as the testimonies of people living with neurological conditions, in an essential guide to neurological care in the Irish health system.
Mags Rogers, Development Manager with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland notes that "Our report made it clear that the current situation cannot continue. The VOTE FOR THINKING AHEAD campaign gives everyone a chance to do something practical, we want to get as many signatories as possible".
She says that despite the prevailing economic conditions, investment in neurological care is vital "People with neurological conditions in Ireland have always waited while other areas of our health system received greater priority, they cannot be made to wait any longer".
Visitors to the online petition can also download details of how to contact their local TD to make them aware of this issue, and access a Facebook page to share their experiences.
The VOTE FOR THINKING AHEAD campaign will continue over the coming months with a series of meetings to present the petition around the country. To receive regular updates, sign up to the online petition at www.nai.ie.
29th June 2010
Charities call on HSE to establish a National Programme For Neurological Care
Ireland is facing a crisis in neurological care, according to a landmark report being published today by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI), the national umbrella group of over 30 charities working in the neurological field.
Over 700,000 Irish people, 17% of the population, are living with neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, dementia and Parkinson's disease. They and their families experience unacceptably long waiting lists for diagnosis and treatment as well as very limited access to specialist care and rehabilitation services.
The report, entitled "The Future For Neurological Conditions In Ireland: A Challenge For Healthcare; An Opportunity For Change", sees leading neurospecialists, academics and health organisations unite to provide an essential guide to neurological care in our health system. It highlights that immediate steps are needed now to address decades of underinvestment and the ongoing lack of planning in this area.
According to the report, the services for people with neurological conditions in Ireland are already lagging far behind the rest of Europe. The World Health Organization has indicated that neurological conditions are the next significant challenge facing healthcare systems in developed countries worldwide as populations age. In ten years time, it is estimated that neurological conditions will affect over 860,000 people in this country.
The launch of the report marks the start of VOTE FOR THINKING AHEAD, a nationwide campaign by the NAI and its member charities, calling on the HSE to put in place a National Programme for Neurological Care. Members of the public are encouraged to join the campaign by signing the petition on www.nai.ie.
Anne Winslow, Chairperson of NAI and Chief Executive of Multiple Sclerosis Ireland says that people with neurological conditions should be afforded the same level of care as those with other serious illnesses. "While there has been some investment in recent years, we are nowhere near the standard of care routinely available in other countries. Neurological conditions account for one in five A&E admissions and one in eight visits to a GP yet we continue to have no national plan for our health service to deal with these conditions.
Our call for a National Programme for Neurological Care is asking the HSE to implement its own recommendations for investing in and improving services, a comprehensive review of this area was completed in 2007 but has still not been published by the HSE. The HSE now has an unprecedented opportunity to bring together all the doctors, health professionals, voluntary organisations and resources to improve neurological care for Irish people. We have already seen how effective this can be in the area of cancer and we feel the same can be achieved for neurological conditions".
Ms Winslow states that the NAI looks forward to being a key partner in this process "Non-statutory organisations have always been at the forefront of driving improvement in neurological care in this country. This report by the NAI exemplifies the lead we have taken in building a consensus of all the stakeholders. The health service needs our expertise and experience to enable it to develop an effective response to the needs of people with neurological conditions".
The Future For Neurological Conditions In Ireland: A Challenge For Healthcare; An Opportunity For Change will be launched in Dublin by the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, who has also contributed the foreword to the report.
To download a copy of the full report, visit the NAI website at www.nai.ie or phone 01 8724120.
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