Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Lynch for raising this important issue. I am replying to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney.

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire is a 120-bed hospital which provides treatment and rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injuries, head injuries, amputation, traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury, strokes and neurological disorders. The hospital also provides wheelchair and mobility aids assessment, and pre-vocational and vocational training programmes involving a wide range of social, personal and work related skills with a view to enhancing opportunities for each individual for further training, employment and educational options. In addition, there is also a 12-bed hostel to enable patients from outside the greater Dublin area to access day services at the hospital and attend the vocational training unit.

A new hospital is in the planning stages and once built will provide additional capacity at the hospital. This project will increase the bed capacity and the diagnostic capabilities of the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I understand a project team is working with an appointed design team to develop the brief for the new hospital and plan for the development of a new hospital.

The Health Service Executive has also informed the Department that a project team has just completed a needs assessment on the development of an acute medical rehabilitation unit of 25 beds which is recommended to be built at Beaumont Hospital. This unit would provide acute medical rehabilitation services and early rehabilitation for those suffering from brain injury who access the national neurosciences unit at Beaumont and who currently have to access services at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. In addition, plans have been prepared in some regional areas for rehabilitation facilities.

The Department and the HSE are aware of the need to review the potential benefits of a regional network of rehabilitation facilities and services. The development of such a network will be considered in the context of a national strategy for rehabilitation services. The Department and the HSE are developing a national strategy for the provision of medical rehabilitation services. A number of issues will be considered, including an assessment of the need, the structure and location of facilities and services and the nature of the rehabilitation facilities, that is, whether they should be hospital-type, step-down, or preparation for independent living.

Increasing demand for neurology services with the rapid pace of technological advances in neurology were drivers for the strategic review of neurology services undertaken by the Health Service Executive. It was overseen by a multidisciplinary steering group, the aim of which was to identify the current level of service provision and future requirements for neurology and neurophysiology services. The specific objectives were to describe the epidemiology of neurological conditions in Ireland; evaluate current neurology services, including paediatrics and neurophysiology; review the evidence in regard to models of service delivery and make a recommendation on the preferred model for the health system; identify requirements for the development of neurology and neurophysiology services nationally and prioritise service requirements; and report to the director of the National Hospitals Office.

The HSE has advised the Department that work on the review has recently been completed and that the final draft report has been submitted to the director of the National Hospitals Office for consideration. In recognition of the need to develop services in this area additional development funding of €4 million was allocated to the HSE in 2007 to support the ongoing development of neurology, neurophysiology and neurosurgery services. This investment builds on the investment of €3 million additional revenue funding in 2006 for neurology and neurophysiology services.

The HSE has advised the Department that there have been improvements in the number of consultant neurology posts since the publication of a report in 2003 on neurology and neurophysiology by the former Comhairle na n-Ospidéal. There are 24 approved posts of consultant neurologist, an increase of ten posts since the publication of the report. In addition, there are seven approved posts of consultant clinical neurophysiologist, which represents a doubling of the number of posts since 2003. I thank Deputy Lynch for raising this important issue.

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