Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the development of regional rehabilitation services in the South/South West Hospital Group. This is an important issue for all of those who live in the area. Rehabilitation is a critical component of any modern healthcare system and is essential if patients are to regain or maintain their quality of life after serious illness or injury. Rehabilitation improves health outcomes and reduces disability. There is a growing body of evidence that rehabilitation in specialised environments is not only effective but also cost effective. This has been demonstrated in a variety of settings such as inpatient units and community teams, and in different diagnostic groups such as trauma brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis and acquired brain injury.

The demand for rehabilitation services is growing and is anticipated to continue to grow with changes of population and the advances in healthcare, new interventions and technology. The model of care under the national clinical programme for rehabilitation medicine was launched in 2018 and presents, in line with National Policy and Strategy for the Provision of Neuro-rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015, an outline for future provision of specialist rehabilitation services in Ireland.

The model of care proposed is a hub and spoke model consisting of a tertiary centre linking at least four managed clinical rehabilitation networks, each one serving a population of about 1 million people. The network will connect acute and post-acute rehabilitation units and community specialist rehabilitation clinicians in a formal governance structure to allow the delivery of co-ordinated rehabilitative care for patients across all levels of complexity.

The HSE has advised that a review of rehabilitation services in the South/South West Hospital Group was, as the Deputy said, undertaken in February 2017 and was further updated in May 2019. The review outlined a number of recommendations in regard to the development of rehabilitation services in the South/South West Hospital Group. The HSE also advised that, in line with the model of care for the provision of rehabilitation medicine in Ireland and the neuro-rehabilitation strategy, the review recommended the development of a regional specialist rehabilitation unit for the South/South West Hospital Group to support patients with moderate to severe physical, cognitive and communicative disabilities.

The HSE has further advised that the review recommended the development of a full range of rehabilitation services in the South/South West Hospital Group, including hyper acute rehabilitation as well as associated specialist post-acute inpatient rehabilitation units. The HSE has advised that these units will operate in a hub and spoke model with the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin, through managed clinical rehabilitation networks, which is consistent with the model of care for rehabilitation medicine.

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