Shocking: Laois woman quoted four year wait time for referral neurology appointment
Portlaoise woman highlights crippling wait times and lack of supports for Laois patients
A young Portlaoise woman has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the crippling wait times Laois locals are facing for neurological referral appointments.
Twenty three year old woman Caoimhe Dunne developed a neurological movement disorder following a surgery she underwent in December of 2025.
Four weeks after a surgery to treat her scoliosis and degenerative disc disease, the Portlaoise woman began experiencing persistent and aggressive tremors in her leg that inhibited her ability to walk. Ms Dunne now requires a cane to walk, with a rollator and a wheelchair possibly required in her future.
Months on, the Portlaoise woman has been stonewalled by the massive wait times for referral appointments for neurological care.
While one in six people experience movement disorders in Ireland, there are only ten neurological centres located across the country, with none of them containing a full multidisciplinary team.
Ms Dunne has pursued all public avenues of specialist care for her disability. She has been rejected from clinics due to their already full waitlists, and has been placed on referral lists with wait times of two to four years.
Since her diagnosis, Ms Dunne has been campaigning to raise awareness of the shortfalls in patient care surrounding movement disorders, sharing information online and petitioning her local representatives and Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
“When I was 17, I was diagnosed with scoliosis and degenerative disc disease. I had ongoing problems with my back for years that I was managing with nerve blocking injections and physio,” Ms Dunne told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
“I took a turn last August and was in Portlaoise hospital for a week. I was sent to a consultant neurosurgeon in Dublin in October, who told me I had developed sciatica and spinal stenosis. I underwent a bilateral F1 decompression surgery on December 19, and four weeks later I noticed issues while I was practicing walking again,” she explained.
Ms Dunne’s consultant told her that the persistent pain and shaking in her right leg would disappear throughout the healing process, yet her condition continued to worsen.
“Since January I now have to use a cane to walk, and I’m a fall risk now. I am not able to walk long distances and it has gotten aggressive and worsened as time has progressed,” Ms Dunne said.
In the Midlands, 58% of patients have no access to community rehabilitation services. A further 58% of locals have never had access to a specialist nurse, and 71% of patients do not have access to respite care.
Ms Dunne has been referred to the Mater neurology clinic in Dublin, and is on a waiting list with 615 people ahead of her, and a four-year expected wait time.
“My condition is getting worse and I haven’t been able to go back to work. I rang the clinic to see how long I should expect to wait, and I was told a minimum of four years. There are 615 other people above me. Patients with Parkinson's Disease or MS are waiting a minimum of a year,” Ms Dunne highlighted.
In the interim, Ms Dunne has sought referrals for the handful of other consultants specialising in movement disorders.
Despite Budget 2025 and Budget 2026 confirming a combined allocation of €4 million into the expansion of neurology services and the hiring of more neurologists in hospitals, these expansions have yet to be implemented.
“I tried to be referred to a clinic in Cork, but they are not taking on new referrals or patients. I am on a waiting list to see a consultant in Tallaght, which is the last option out of the whole country,” she explained.
Unable to work or continue her volunteering with Portlaoise Community First Responders, the young woman feels unheard and neglected by the healthcare system.
Ms Dunne is anxious to get back to her job with Allbooks in Portlaoise, but cannot do so without clearance from an occupational therapist.
“I can’t stay out of work for a year, but we don’t have an occupational therapist in Laois. This issue has been raised before, but nothing has been done since,” she highlighted.
“If anyone in Laois wants to see an OT, they must go private- Kilkenny is the nearest one. I’m left in limbo, and there are people with fatal conditions experiencing this too.
“In the time I’ve been at home unable to work, I’ve been researching. I never knew how bad an issue this was until it affected me, it’s mind-blowing,” Ms Dunne said.
“I was completely unaware about this until it happened to me, and this can happen to anyone. It’s so important that we talk about these issues. Since I’ve started posting on Facebook about this, I’ve spoken to people in a similar situation to myself. They have all said how isolating it is, and how neglected you feel by the public health system,” she said.
Ms Dunne has written several times to Minster for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, but has yet to receive a response from the Minister.
Having contacted her local representatives, Independent TD Deputy Brian Stanley and Sinn Féin Senator Maria McCormack will bring the issue to the attention of Dáil Éireann and the Seanad.
“I don’t have a condition that will affect my lifespan, but there are people out there in need of an appointment with fatal conditions, and they are forced to wait up to a year. The more people who speak on this, the better,” she finished.