Over one third of COVID-19 patients have been found to experience significant neurological consequences including stroke, extreme fatigue and cognitive impairment. Effective resourcing of neurological care services is critical to the management of COVID-19 but existing neurology and neurorehabilitation services were completely underresourced pre-COVID-19 and are now struggling to cope with pent-up demand as a result of the lockdown earlier this year. Neurological charities, which provide the vast majority of neurological care in the community, are struggling to survive due to the impact of COVID-19 on public fundraising. 

The NAI is concerned that COVID-19 has exposed serious deficits in Ireland's neurological care services which continues to impact the care of existing patients as well as those who will experience neurological consequences of COVID-19. 

The NAI has written to a range of elected representatives, including the Minister for Health, the Minister of State for Disability as well as key health spokespeople across all political parties calling for an immediate review of the capacity within neurological care services in the context of the current pandemic.