Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A Programme for a Partnership Government places a particular focus on a number of key programmes and strategies, including publishing a plan for advancing neurorehabilitation services in the community. The national policy and strategy for the provision of neurorehabilitation services in Ireland for 2011 to 2015 made a number of recommendations for services for people with rehabilitation needs. The strategy also covered a range of supports, including clinical, therapeutic, social, vocational and community supports for these people.

The redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, which is under way, will be a major enhancement to rehabilitation services in the country and will have a direct and significant impact on patient recovery by providing an optimal ward and therapeutic environment for patient treatment. This will enable staff to deliver optimal quality care and treatment in a facility which affords dignity, respect and privacy to all.

Roscommon County Hospital is a model 2 hospital within the Saolta University Healthcare Group. It provides a significant range of hospital services to patients in the region, including extended day surgery, certain acute medicine services and local injuries services. It also provides a wide array of diagnostic services, including endoscopy, laboratory medicine, point of care testing and radiology, as well as specialist rehabilitation medicine and palliative care. Roscommon hospital plays an essential role as part of the Saolta Healthcare Group of hospitals and will continue to do so in the future. We know that the future growth in health care will be in the areas of chronic disease management and day surgery, diagnostics and rehabilitation. The activity levels of model 2 hospitals, such as Roscommon County Hospital, will continue to increase over the coming years as these hospitals specialise in providing these services to meet the needs of their local populations.

The spatial plan for Roscommon hospital was approved in the first quarter of 2016, and the project team comprised personnel from both the hospital-clinical side and from estates. In September 2016, the Minister, Deputy Harris, announced approval for funding to progress the development of a specialist rehabilitation unit at Roscommon hospital to design-planning stage, in association with the National Rehabilitation Hospital. The project will deliver 20 beds and therapy suite accommodation.

The HSE has advised that the procurement process for the design team is ongoing and it is expected that the team will be appointed in the first quarter of 2018. The HSE also advises that the hospital is experiencing traffic congestion and parking difficulties, for which solutions will need to be addressed as part of the planning application process for the rehabilitation unit.