James Lawless
Question:114. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a community neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59248/21]
View answerFriday, 3 December 2021
Questions (114)
Written answers
‘The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future’ includes a commitment for advancing neuro-rehabilitation services in the community. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is leading on the implementation framework in respect of the recommendations of the National Policy and Strategy for the provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015.
The overarching aim of the Strategy is the development of neuro-rehabilitation services to improve patient outcomes by providing safe, high quality, person -centred neuro-rehabilitation at the lowest appropriate level of complexity. This must be integrated across the care pathway and provided as close to home as possible or in specialist centres where necessary.
These services should be configured into population based Managed Clinical Rehabilitation Networks (MCRNs). The MCRN, while an effective model in a number of European countries, is a new concept in Ireland and is recognised as having the potential to bring together an appropriate range of primary, secondary and tertiary services to ensure equitable provision of high quality and clinically effective services.
An MCRN demonstrator project is currently progressing through the development of post-acute and community neuro-rehabilitation services across CHO 6 & 7, with full year funding of €2.29m available for 2021. This funding included the establishment of 10 additional in-patient beds in Peamount Healthcare which are now fully operational.
The learning from the demonstrator project will inform the implementation of the Neuro-rehabilitation Strategy across each CHO and implementation of strategy will roll-out from 2022.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.