Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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24. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the neurology/epilepsy nursing phone support service at CHI Crumlin has been curtailed to one hour a day, three days a week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7778/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Neurology Nurse Specialists are part of the Neurology Team in CHI at Crumlin. They support parents and children with epilepsy and other chronic neurological conditions. CHI at Crumlin has a dedicated neurology nurse phone line, which supports parents caring for their child at home.

CHI has advised that there was a temporary impact to the operation of the phone line at the end of last year due to staffing issues, which is now resolved.

Previous to this impact, the advice line was operating 9am-12 midday Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Following resolution of this issue, the phone line opened from 9am to 10.00am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On 20 February, the opening times increased by half an hour. The line is now open 9am-10.30am, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

CHI is currently upskilling staff to support this service and it is being reviewed weekly in order to assess capacity to increase the hours of operation. CHI has also advised that parents who require access to the neurology service can phone the secretary lines between 8.30am and 4pm Monday to Friday. The numbers are available on the CHI website.

According to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, the number of patients waiting for outpatient neurology services in CHI Crumlin has reduced from 347 in December 2019 to 198 in January this year.