Hospital Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2004

Thursday, 2 December 2004

Questions (19, 20, 21)

Richard Bruton

Question:

13 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to reduce waiting lists for neurology; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31802/04]

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

59 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the concerns of the Neurology Alliance of Ireland that almost 30% of persons with the fatal neurological diseases, multiple sclerosis or motor neurone disease, have never, or rarely ever, seen a neurologist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31800/04]

Billy Timmins

Question:

114 Mr. Timmins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to increase the number of consultant neurologists, in particular, in the west of the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31787/04]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

In April 2003 Comhairle na nOspidéal published the report of a review of neurology and neurophysiology services. The report recommended significant enhancement of such services, including increases in consultant staffing. It also recognised that aspects of other specialties and services, such as rehabilitation medicine, geriatric medicine and old age psychiatry, are related to and overlap with neurology services. Comhairle recommended that a national multi-disciplinary review of rehabilitation services be undertaken. This would further inform the policy framework in relation to the development of neurology services.

Consistent with this recommendation, a national action plan for rehabilitation services is currently being prepared by my Department. The rehabilitation action plan, together with the Comhairle report and the work undertaken by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland through its own publications, will offer a comprehensive policy framework for the future development of neurology and neurophysiology services in this country.

The implementation of the Comhairle recommendations will be progressed with consideration to the evolving policy framework in this area, competing funding priorities and the report of the National Task Force on Medical Staffing.

Responsibility for the management and monitoring of waiting lists, including waiting lists for neurology services, rests with individual hospitals and health boards. It is a matter for each hospital to prioritise its services based on patient need and use their available resources to best effect to ensure that patient services are delivered efficiently and effectively.