Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD has called on the Minister for Health and the HSE to ensure the recruitment of 100 specialist nurses in neurology as recommended by the HSE’s own model of care.

Following meetings with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland and the Cork branch of the Parkinson’s Association, Teachta Cullinane has called on the Minister to ensure that there are no obstacles to the HSE in drawing down funding to train and recruit nurses into these posts.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“By the HSE’s own reckoning, we only have about 30% of the specialist neurology nurses that we need, which is making their job extremely difficult. We need 100 more.

“Budgets over the last two years have promised thousands of staff which have not materialised.

“It is vital that these 100 nursing posts are allocated and filled. Specialist nursing staff are needed to manage long-term neurological conditions, monitor patients and adjust medication amounts, and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

“Having this level of nurse capacity in the system to support consultants would reduce the need for outpatient consultations and free up staff time to get through waiting lists.

“There are more than 23,000 patients on neurology waiting lists, yet only 16 of these nursing posts have been sought to be filled this year. That is not good enough.

“The Minister and the HSE need to ensure that there are no obstacles to drawing down the full required funding to train and recruit nurses into these posts.”