Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
Access to Community Neurological Rehabilitation Teams: Discussion
Ms Magdalen Rogers:
It is a very good example. Neurology and neurorehabilitation are part of a pathway. These are often people with lifelong conditions so they are seen in neurology services, they are seen for their diagnosis and their acute treatment, but then they need to be discharged out to the communities where they live.
If one does not have multidisciplinary care available in the community, one sees a revolving door and an unnecessary deterioration of neurological patients in the community. We are aware that there is not that dedicated multidisciplinary care available in the south east. The neurology service is underdeveloped. It is serving a catchment area of over 500,000 people. It should have seven consultant neurologists in place. It has 2.5 whole-time equivalents, as I understand it. The current nurse specialist post is vacant, but we are aware it has been readvertised-----