Just one in six people requiring specialist rehabilitation for neurological conditions are receiving the services they need to rebuild their lives.
TDs and Senators were also told in Leinster House today that community services provided by neurological charities are in crisis following funding cuts in recent years of up to 12%.
The health service’s latest HIPE data shows that in 2010 just 2,510 out of 15,000 people requiring specialist rehabilitation services for conditions such as acquired brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, MS and Parkinson’s received treatment vital to maximise their recovery.
Speaking during a briefing session in Leinster House, Neurological Alliance of Ireland chairman, Chris Macey said: “This is like Russian Roulette in reverse. For every person who receives the services that could enable them get their life back maybe from a brain injury sustained in a car crash, from a stroke, or from the onset of a serious neurological condition, five will be left with no service and in many cases no hope at all.
“These chronic deficits are an indictment of Ireland’s neurological care services. But it doesn’t stop there. People who have been denied specialist treatment are also missing out on community care because of severe cuts to services provided by neurological charities.”
A survey of the NAI’s 32 member organisations has revealed that continued funding cuts have had serious effects on services, including the closure of vital community rehabilitation programmes and home-based rehabilitation.
The organisations represented at today’s Dail briefing included the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, ABI Ireland, Brainwave, Cheshire Ireland, the Huntington’s Disease Association, Headway, the Irish Heart Foundation, the Migraine Association, MS Ireland, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, the Parkinson’s Association, The Rehab Group and the Syringomyelia Self Help Group.
NAI Development Manager Mags Rogers said it was important to understand that HSE funding cuts to disability charities have a disproportionate impact on people with neurological conditions. “Ireland relies on charities to provide specialised neurological care and rehabilitation. We just don’t have the framework of State services that other countries take for granted and charities have historically stepped in to meet the huge unmet need.”
Mr Macey added that the marginalising of people with neurological conditions in Ireland is exemplified by the lack of rehabilitation medicine consultants compared to other countries.“Ireland has just 6 rehabilitation consultants. If this increased to 50 we would still have the second lowest number per capita in Europe. And if it increased to 150 we would still be behind countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia per head of population.”
It is impossible to condone such service deficits when the Government’s newly published rehabilitation policy itself states that neuro rehabilitation services are cost effective because of their impact on disability and reducing reliance on long-term care.
For example, recent research showed that out of a direct cost of stroke to the State of €557 million, as much as €414 million is spent on the cost of nursing home care. But less that €7 million is spent on community rehab services that could keep a large number of Ireland’s estimated 50,000 stroke survivors out of nursing homes.
“In effect the system waits until after the time that stroke survivors can be helped most before any real money is spent on them,” said Mr Macey. “Meanwhile, an average of around €140 is spent on the rehabilitation of each stroke survivor – enough to pay for a couple of physio sessions every year for people with often complex physical, communication and psychological needs after an attack.”
He concluded that investment in rehabilitation services wouldn’t just result in massive quality of life gains for large numbers of people with neurological conditions. They could also save the taxpayer money.