As a member of the Expert Advisory Group for this report, the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) welcomes last week’s launch by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) of its public consultation on the draft Health Technology Assessment of the transition to, and organisation of, adult healthcare services for people with severe neurological impairment (SNI).
As HIQA’s draft assessment recognises, people with SNI can have complex, lifelong healthcare needs, and the transition from paediatric to adult services can present significant challenges. The organisation of adult services can be very different from paediatric care, making it more difficult for people and their families to navigate services and maintain continuity of care. The recognition that the challenges in this transition reflect gaps in co-ordinated adult services is a particularly important aspect of this report.
NAI will be engaging with this consultation and our response will aim to facilitate and reflect input from patient organisations at the front line of supporting individuals and families in accessing care, transitioning between services and navigating the health system into adulthood.