Laois people with brain injuries urge Government to deliver on promise

Laois people have no access to Government-promised help to community services to recover or cope with serious neurological illness or injury six years after a pledge to deliver nationally was made, according to a national alliance.

The Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) says that six years since a commitment to nine community neurological rehabilitation teams across the country, Laois and other counties still do not have any access to an expert team.

In a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live the national umbrella body for 40 neurological organisations called for a new commitment to deliver to coincide with the National Brain Awareness Week (March 10 – 16). The alliance says the opening of dedicated community neurorehabilitation teams is a critical issue.

"There is now a notable regional disparity for patients in Laois, as the Midlands is one of only two regions in the country that has yet to receive funding for a community neurorehabilitation team," said a statement from the alliance.

The HSE says such teams help people after serious neurological illness or injury to improve health outcomes, reduce disability and improve quality of life.

The National Neurorehabilitation Strategy published in 2019 committed to delivering specialist community teams and long-term neurorehabilitation services across the country, as well as addressing the shortfall of 171 specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation beds.

Magdalen Rogers is the CEO of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland.

“Neurorehabilitation is a vital service to enable people in Laois with neurological conditions to live their day to day lives. We’re calling on the Government to announce a commitment to funding four community neurorehabilitation teams in this year’s Budget.

READ ALSO: Laois health volunteers plead with Government for help

"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 and to developing more specialist inpatient rehabilitation beds and implement community based multidisciplinary rehabilitation services in each HSE Regional Health Authority Area,” she said.

NAI is calling for funding in the upcoming Budget for full community neurorehabilitation teams for the North West, North Dublin, South East and Midlands, promised since 2019.

Patient advocate, Liam Lynch been living with an acquired brain injury (ABI) since 2017, after being knocked off his bike by a car, during a charity cycle. Despite experiencing multiple side effects afterwards, including memory loss and struggling with work, he only learned that this was due to having an ABI, as part of a check-in with his neurologist two years later. 

“One person went out for a cycle that day in 2017 and a different person came back. I won’t recover from the ABI but I have learned to live with this ‘new normal’, now I understand why I am the way I am and I have the support from ABI Ireland,” he said.

The HSE says on its website that it is recruiting senior and clinical specialists, health and social care professionals and other roles for Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams in HSE Dublin and Midlands, HSE South West, HSE West and North West, HSE Dublin and South East.