Ms Richelle Flanagan:

I will follow up on access to care. I do a dietician call-back service for the Parkinson's association, so I talk to patients weekly. Lack of access to neurologists is a severe problem. We have the worst neurology to patient ratio in Europe at 1.3. The average in Europe is nine. We have 1.3. I spoke to a woman last week in Letterkenny, County Donegal, who was diagnosed seven years ago and that is the last time she saw a neurologist - seven years ago. That is regardless of her husband contacting to try to get her to see a neurologist. Seven years. She has declined. She has lost weight. Her symptoms have got worse. People with Parkinson's are accelerating through their condition because they are not getting access to the services they need. We also know that the nurse in the Parkinson's Association of Ireland has said recently that a lot of people in the northern counties are travelling into Northern Ireland to get access to neurology care. I have come across this.

We also know that many people are going to private neurologists because they cannot get access. You are dealing with a condition that, in older people, is very severe in its physical and mental impacts. There is also late onset of dementia - Lewy body dementia and psychosis. We know that only 10% of people with Parkinson's get access to mental health services. Only 15% have access to dieticians. Only 30% have access to speech and language and OTs. These are all lifesaving interventions they are not getting access too. On travelling, there is the example of an 80-year-old lady in Bantry, County Cork, who has seen a consultant once in the year. She has to get a referral to Cork city and travel a 160 km round trip. She is 80. Many of these people can be affected so they cannot drive because they are on medications that might impact their safe driving. Neglect of patients with Parkinson’s is happening, and I am sure it is also happening with other conditions. There are other things like progressive supranuclear palsy, MSA and Huntington's. These people are also left without care and are progressing because they lack access to that care.