SIX YEARS ON the commitment to fulfill nine community neurological teams across the country remains unfulfilled by the government. 

The government made a commitment to deliver nine fully funded community neurological rehabilitation teams across the country in 2019, and to date there are only two partially staffed teams established.

The Neurological Alliance of Ireland, an umbrella organisation for over 30 neurological organisations, have met with TDs and Senators today to discuss the targets that were set out in the 2019 Neurorehabilitation strategy.

Neurological Alliance of Ireland CEO, Magdalen Rogers, said: “Neurorehabilitation is a vital service to enable people with neurological conditions to live their day to day lives.”

“We want to see this commitment during their first 100 days in office, to send a clear signal they intend to deliver on the pledges within the programme for Government to complete the national rollout of community neurorehabilitation teams, developing more specialist inpatient rehabilitation beds and implement community based multidisciplinary rehabilitation services,” Rogers added. 

Of the nine community neurorehabilitation teams the government committed to establish in 2019, three have not received any funding to date, four are to be established in 2025, the North West team has only three posts filled compared to the 12 that should be in place, and the final team in the Mid West, is due to increase the posts from seven to 12 in 2025.

The commitment in 2019 was also intended to address a shortfall of 171 specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation beds. 

According to the HSE website, the most updated national strategy and policy for neuro-rehabilitation services in Ireland included an implementation framework from 2019-2021.

It said the framework describes the requirement for a “whole system” approach, and provides the “blueprint” for how care and services for those experiencing a neurological condition.

It said on its website: “It is recognised that continued investment in and development of neuro-rehabilitation services will need to be prioritised beyond the three year implementation period of this Implementation Framework in order to address the significant lack of capacity within existing services.”