To mark Brain Awareness Week 2021, our colleagues in the Neurological Alliance of Ireland(NAI) have launched a report on the resourcing of neurology services in Ireland.
The report is an update to a similar paper published 5 years ago and offers an update on how access to services currently stand. Unfortunately, the report notes that there is significant progress to be made when it comes to improving access to neurological services in Ireland.
The report has made four key recommendations:
- Address ongoing critical understaffing across neurology services through year on year investment
- Invest in Neurorehabilitation services
- Address capacity to enable neurology services to meet current and emerging needs
- Tackle the funding crisis among non-profit providers of neurological care
Throughout their report, the NAI have highlighted a number of issues which are impacting directly on the lives of people with epilepsy and their families. For example, the report highlights a wait time of over 12 months for non-emergency access to an MRI while in a staffing context, the report notes that there are currently 22 epilepsy specialist nurses attached to epilepsy services across this country - this is well below the recommended number of 35.
These isolated examples show how action is required when it comes to investment in not only epilepsy services but neurology services as a whole. We fully support the NAI with their campaign throughout Brain Awareness Week which is promoting access to services for people with a neurological condition.
You can read the report in full by visiting the NAI website while you can also read more about Brain Awareness Week by visiting the Love Your Brain website.