Fully staffed neurological rehab service sorely needed in Leitrim

There are 800,000 Irish people living with neurological conditions that include Parkinsons, Acquired Brain Injury, Alzheimer’s, Motor Neurone Disease, spinal injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy and other neurological conditions.

Community neurorehabilitation teams are a crucial element in ensuring people living with these conditions get on-going therapy and support in their own region.

Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin called on the Government to provide the funding to fully staff a community neurorehabilitation team for the Community Health Organisation (CHO) that includes Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.

“There is a completely inadequate community neurorehabilitation service in the northwest at the moment,” Deputy Harkin said, “it consists of a team of three, based in Letterkenny. According to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI), each CHO should have a fully staffed community neurological team of 13. The current team in Letterkenny is insufficient for Donegal, let alone for Sligo and the rest of the northwest. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to provide such teams in each of the nine CHOs across the country as outlined in the National Rehabilitation Strategy.

Community neurorehabilitation teams provide short-term intensive rehabilitation for up to 12 weeks with access to a multidisciplinary service including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, social work and neuropsychology.

The absence of these teams is having knock-on effects across the health service resulting in avoidable suffering, poor health outcomes and even more pressure on hospital beds.

“According to the NAI the consequences of not having these teams in place are significant,” Deputy Harkin said. “Having a national network of community neurorehabilitation teams could result in a bed-day saving of 42,000 bed-days annually. The absence of these teams results in higher healthcare needs, early admission to nursing homes, a greater need for home care supports as well as an increased likelihood of falls and subsequent hospital readmissions.”

Ms Harkin said that these needs are even more severe in the wake of Covid given that many people in need of neurorehabilitation were discharged early and missed out on treatment due to the closure of services.

“I am calling on the Government to fulfil its commitment, clearly outlined in the Programme for Government, to provide a full community neurorehabilitation team for the northwestern CHO of Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan,” Deputy Harkin concluded.