Dr. Áine Carroll:

Deputy Ó Caoláin asked a question about the rehabilitation medicine programme model of care. The model of care has been signed off by the working group and signed off by clinical advisory group as well. The next stage in that process is that the draft will be circulated for consultation. I hope that consultation process will be completed in the next few months and that the model of care will be signed off by the senior management team and published before the end of the year.

Reference was made to the implementation of the national strategy. My understanding is that the executive lead appointed through disability has met recently with the new lead for the rehabilitation medicine programme. The working group is being set up to examine the implementation of the strategy. That is a good step forward in terms of implementation of the national strategy.

Deputy Mitchell O'Connor asked a question on chronic pain pathways and she is quite right. Chronic pain is a common condition, specifically chronic pain following a stroke. The stroke programme has looked at the most common type of post-stroke pain, which is hemiplegic shoulder pain. A care pathway has been developed through the stroke programme. We know there are examples of excellent practice and it is a matter of nationalising best practice. Other types of post-stroke pain require more specialised interventions and the stroke programme and the rehabilitation medicine programme will be looking at ensuring appropriate access to the specialist services for individuals with post-stroke pain.