Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This will support staff to deliver quality care and treatment in a facility which affords dignity, respect and privacy to all.

The Government is committed to advancing neuro-rehabilitation services in the community, and the redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital is central to achieving that. The National Rehabilitation Hospital provides complex specialist rehabilitation services including inpatient, outpatient and day patient services to patients who have acquired a physical or cognitive disability as a result of an accident, illness or injury and require specialist medical rehabilitation services.

An investment of €64 million will ensure the existing ward accommodation at the NRH is replaced by a new fit-for-purpose ward accommodation block of 120 single en suite rooms with integrated therapy spaces, a new sports hall, a hydrotherapy unit, a temporary concourse as well as clinical and ancillary spaces. In addition, links to the existing building will ensure full integration between the new development and the existing hospital on the site.

The contracts for development works at the National Rehabilitation Hospital were signed on 28 August 2017 and construction commenced on the site immediately. The construction of the hydrotherapy unit and the sports hall is expected to be completed by the end of this year, while the remainder of the construction works are due for completion by the end of 2019 and expected to be operational in 2020.Phase 2 of the redevelopment at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, NRH, involves the expansion of services, to include all existing therapies and support facilities, to the new hospital. Funding for phases 1 and 2 of this major redevelopment project is provided for in the National Development Plan 2018-2027. It is part of an overall €10.9 billion strategic investment in health under the Government Project Ireland 2040 policy initiative.

The area of neuro-rehabilitation remains a priority for the Government. A Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to publish a plan for advancing neuro-rehabilitation services in the community. The HSE’s national service plan for 2018 has identified a number of priority actions in this area, including finalising and progressing implementation of the framework for the neuro-rehabilitation strategy. Full implementation of the strategy will, of necessity, be a longer-term project. The model of care proposed in the strategy is a three-tiered model of specialist rehabilitation services and complex specialist tertiary services, specialist inpatient rehabilitation units and community-based specialist neuro-rehabilitation teams. As a first step, a managed clinical rehabilitation network project is in development to establish collaborative care pathways for people with complex neuro-rehabilitation care and support and-or accommodation needs. The National Rehabilitation Hospital will participate in that demonstration project.