Dinny McGinley
Question:74 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps he has taken to assist those with Parkinson's Disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14870/01]
Written Answers. - Parkinson's Disease.
Seán Barrett
Question:105 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will immediately set about developing a strategy to assist patients suffering from Parkinson's disease; and if the necessary funding will be provided as part of the national development plan. [14539/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 105 together.
The provision of elderly or physical and sensory disability services to individuals is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance.
My Department established the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database Development Committee to prepare detailed proposals for the establishment of a national physical and sensory disability database on the specialised health and personal social needs of people with a physical or sensory disability. The primary purpose of the database will be for planning services developments, prioritising service needs and assisting in resource allocation decisions at national, regional and local level.
As very many of the people who suffer from Parkinson's disease are in the older age group, they will benefit from the improved level of services which my Department has put in place for older people since coming into office. The policy of the Department of Health and Children is to maintain older people in dignity and independence at home in accordance with the wishes of older people, as expressed in many research studies; to restore to independence at home those older people who become ill or dependent; to encourage and support the care of older people in their own community by family, neighbours and voluntary bodies; to provide a high quality of hospital and residential care for older people when they can no longer be maintained in dignity and independence at home.
This Government's commitment to this philosophy of care is proven by the considerable injection of funding into the very services which are at the heart of care in the community, viz. expansion of the home help service, specific assistance to carers, additional community support services i.e. public health nurses, care assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and dieticians together with the provision of new day care centres.
Additional funding for the development of services for older people has increased significantly from £3 million in 1997 to an additional £7 million in 1998, an additional £12 million in 1999, an additional £28.5 million in 2000 while in 2001 an additional £33 million is being provided. These figures do not include additional funding for the nursing home subvention scheme or additional funding to expand medical card eligibility to the over 70s. The additional funding has resulted in approximately 880 posts approved to services for older people between 1997 and 2000. Between 1998 and 2000 more than 400 additional beds have been provided in ten new community nursing units and over 1000 day places per week have been provided in ten day care centres.
Last year the Irish Consultant Neurologists Association made a submission to my Department which sought to increase the number of consultant neurologists in this country to meet an increasing demand from people presenting with neurological disorders. The report considered the need for further expansion nationwide, as the nature of neurological practice is changing with new effective complex therapies for many disorders such as Parkinson's disease becoming available. The challenge is to develop an integrated and co-ordinated health and social welfare system that is geared towards the needs of the individual.
Comhairle Na nOspidéal is the statutory body whose main function is to regulate appointments of consultant medical staff in hospitals providing services under the health Acts and to specify qualifications for such appointment. It also advises on matters relating to the organisation and operation of hospital services and publishes reports relating to services. Arising from a number of meetings with various interest groups, I have requested Comhairle Na nOspidéal to conduct a review of neurological services and related issues. The need for additional investment in neurological and neurosurgical will be considered in the light of this review, other competing priorities and the availability funding. I look forward to receiving An Chomhairle's report in due course.