Carol Nolan: Exposes HSE data blindness on Parkinson's in Offaly
Carol Nolan challenges the Government and the HSE over the lack of Parkinson's services and county-level data in County Offaly. In parliament she demands urgent intervention to secure a neurologist, a specialist nurse and a multidisciplinary team in Tullamore and to remedy what she calls 'data blindness'.
Carol Nolan sets out the problem plainly: Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing neurological condition in Ireland and many patients in Offaly lack local supports. She highlights that there is currently no neurologist, specialist nurse or dedicated team in the county, forcing people to travel for care.
Nolan was particularly shocked by an HSE reply to a parliamentary question which stated there is no record of how many people in County Offaly live with Parkinson's. She argues that without county-level data the level of need cannot be measured and services cannot be planned effectively.
Nolan calls for an urgent Government intervention to address both the absence of neurological services in Tullamore and the HSE's data collection practices. She asks Ministers to clarify whether data is held nationally rather than by county and to confirm plans to collect the necessary information.
The speaker asks the Minister to respond directly on whether county-level recording is standard practice and whether there are plans to establish a neurologist post, a specialist nurse, and a team in Tullamore to meet local demand.
Key concern
Carol Nolan sets out the problem plainly: Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing neurological condition in Ireland and many patients in Offaly lack local supports. She highlights that there is currently no neurologist, specialist nurse or dedicated team in the county, forcing people to travel for care.
Data gaps and planning
Nolan was particularly shocked by an HSE reply to a parliamentary question which stated there is no record of how many people in County Offaly live with Parkinson's. She argues that without county-level data the level of need cannot be measured and services cannot be planned effectively.
Local service demands
Nolan calls for an urgent Government intervention to address both the absence of neurological services in Tullamore and the HSE's data collection practices. She asks Ministers to clarify whether data is held nationally rather than by county and to confirm plans to collect the necessary information.
Next steps requested
The speaker asks the Minister to respond directly on whether county-level recording is standard practice and whether there are plans to establish a neurologist post, a specialist nurse, and a team in Tullamore to meet local demand.
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Transcript
Minister, Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing neurological condition in Ireland and unfortunately people are without supports in many counties such as my own county of Offaly where there is no neurologist, there's no specialist nurse or there's no team and people have to travel. But what really shocked me was in a recent parliamentary question response the HSE responded by telling me that they have no idea of the number of people living with Parkinson's disease in County Offaly. Now I find that very concerning because if they don't know the level of need, how can they measure the level of need or how can they put services in place? So this greatly concerns me. So what I'm asking government to do is urgently intervene with the HSE in terms of the data blindness because it's just unbelievable that there's no data being collected per county and also in terms of the lack of neurological services in County Offaly. We really should have a neurologist in our hospital in Tullamore along with a specialist nurse and team. Minister, Deputy, while I'm not aware of how information is gathered or whether it's held at a national level as opposed to a county level, I'll certainly relay and ask the Minister to come back directly to you as to whether this is a practice that does happen that isn't happening in the county in particular or whether it's happening on a national level or whether there are plans to do this and I'll ask her to come back to you. Go grace. Thank you.