Dáil debates

Wednesday, 6 July 2011

9:00 pm

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I am pleased to take the opportunity to outline the position on the matter raised by the Deputy which I thank him for raising.

The aim of rehabilitation is to enable the person to achieve the highest possible level of independence. Desired outcomes range from a return to full independence in social and work activities to a person requiring long-term support and care but with a higher level of independence than in the absence of rehabilitation. Current services available to persons with an acquired brain injury, ABI, include: acute hospital services; the National Rehabilitation Hospital; multi-disciplinary community services; long-term assisted living supports; and rehabilitative training services. These services are provided directly by the HSE and several non-statutory organisations.

Within disability services, the two main organisations funded to meet the needs of service users with an ABI nationally are Acquired Brain Injury Ireland and Headway Ireland. Acquired Brain Injury Ireland works in partnership with the HSE to provide a range of flexible and tailor-made services for people with an acquired brain injury in direct response to local identified needs. Services provided by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland nationwide include: 14 assisted living services; home and community rehabilitation and outreach services; day resource services; family support services, home liaison and social work; psychological services; and acquired brain injury awareness information, training and education programmes. In partnership with the HSE, Headway Ireland provides a range of services to people with an ABI. The services include day services, psychology and social work services, community integration programmes, supported employment, family support and rehabilitation training programmes.

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland received funding of €8.011 million in 2010, while Headway Ireland received funding amounting to €2.65 million in the same year. Both the Department of Health and the HSE have recognised for some time the need to develop comprehensive and integrated rehabilitation services. The Department of Health and the HSE have developed a national policy and strategy for the provision of neuro-rehabilitation services. The Department hopes to publish the strategy soon. The report recognises that given the current economic climate, the focus in the short to medium term must be on reconfiguration of services, structures and resources and the enhancement of the skills and competencies. Implementation of the neuro-rehabilitation strategy will require both an executive and a clinical lead who will work jointly at a national level to progress the implementation. To support the recommendations contained in the report, the HSE national service plan for 2011 includes a commitment to appoint a national clinical lead for rehabilitation to develop an implementation plan and an implementation structure for the provision of neuro-rehabilitation services. Implementation will have a particular focus on the development of a range of integrated services at regional and local level and to ensure regions have the capacity to respond to local needs. As part of its development of clinical care programmes, the quality and clinical care directorate of the HSE has established a rehabilitation medicine programme. This programme will improve and standardise patient care throughout the organisation by bringing together clinical disciplines and enabling them to share innovative solutions to deliver greater benefits to all users of HSE services.

The work of the rehabilitation medicine programme will be to achieve three main objectives, namely, to improve the quality of care, to improve access to services and to improve cost effectiveness. The HSE has appointed a clinical lead who will have responsibility for both the rehabilitation medicine programme and the implementation of the neuro-rehabilitation strategy. The appointment of a single clinical lead for both interrelated programmes will help to improve service quality, effectiveness and service user access and will ensure patient care is provided in the service setting most appropriate to the individual's needs. I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue, in which I have a deep personal interest.

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