NAI welcomes the commitment in the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026, published in December 2023, to have a community neurorehabilitation team in each of the 6 new Regional Health Areas and to increase the size of the team to 18 WTE (whole time equivalent) staff members.
The NAI Board appointed Alison Cotter as Vice Chair at their first Board meeting of the year on January 25th. Alison is Alison Cotter, a graduate of Law and Business at the University of Galway, has been with MS Ireland as their Advocacy and Research Officer since May of 2022.
Brain Awareness Week takes place this year from March 11th to 17th and is currently supported by 35 patient organisations and research groups. It is an annual awareness initiative which aims to promote greater awareness of the brain and brain conditions, as well as the need for more investment in services, research and prevention.
The Neurological Alliance of Ireland are excited to be working with our Project Partners the Disability Federation of Ireland and the HSE in Phase II of the Joint Neuromapping Project.
The European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) has launched its Stronger Connected Map – an interactive tool that allows users to search for and explore organisations across Europe by neurological condition, country or both.
On November 29th, NAI were delighted to address representatives of patient organisations from across Europe at the EFNA (European Federation of Neurological Associations) Event on November 29th in Dun Laoghaire Dublin.. Entitled "Stronger Connected" the workshop focused on approaches across Europe to put in place policy frameworks and investment around neurological services.
Following on from the NAI Patients Deserve Better campaign for community neurorehabilitation teams, the recent Budget saw dedicated funding allocated, for the second year in a row, to support the roll-out of these teams nationwide.
The Neurological Alliance of Ireland, the national umbrella for over thirty neurological charities, commissioned research between August 2022 and February 2023 involving people with neurological conditions and family carers, service providers and health professionals.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the incorporation of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland as a registered charity. Starting with a small group of six organisations, NAI has secured a niche as a united and expert voice on neurological care through advocacy, policy development, and awareness raising. Our membership has grown to over thirty organisations working on behalf of the over 800,000 Irish people living with neurological conditions.
NAI launched their 5 year Strategic Plan at an event this week to mark the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland. The event, attended by NAI members and stakeholders including representatives from across the health services, neuroscience research and neurological services, also celebrated the partnership between the patient umbrella and Professor Orla Hardiman as she prepares to step down from a five year term as National Clinical Lead for Neurology.