Mattie McGrath warns of Parkinson's care gap in South East
Mattie McGrath raised concerns about services for people with Parkinson's in the Calaconsure, Clonmel, Cashel and Care area and urged the HSE and the Minister for Health to provide a dedicated nurse specialist in the South East. He described a volunteer-run support group, reported 70 to 80 local sufferers and asked for funding for nurse specialist training and a local clinic with a neurologist.
Overview
McGrath referenced commitments in the Programme for Government to improve services for those with chronic long-term illnesses and said the South East requires targeted support for Parkinson's patients.
Local numbers and support
He reported a combined 70 to 80 people with Parkinson's across the Calaconsure, Clonmel, Cashel and Care area and said the local support group is run by volunteers who are patients, sufferers and their families. He noted that five members have died to date.
Request for nurse specialist and neurologist
McGrath urged the HSE and the Minister for Health to fund training for a nurse specialist and to create a course of nurse specialists in Clonmel or the wider South East area. He said the region would ideally like a neurologist and a clinic there in due course.
Volunteer impact and patient vulnerability
He emphasized that vulnerable people are supporting themselves through volunteer efforts and that a regional nurse specialist would bolster that work and provide professional support to the community.
Government staffing context
McGrath noted the HSE service plan provides for an extra 3,000 posts next year and said he would advise the Minister for Health about the issue and ask for a direct reply. The request focuses on allocating clinical nurse specialist resources to the South East.
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There are commitments in the Programme for Government to improve services for those with chronic long-term illnesses. There are a combined 70 to 80 people suffering with Parkinson's in the Calaconsure, Clonmel, Cashel and Care area. They have the volunteers of a support group in Clonmel run by volunteers, I mean patients and sufferers themselves and their families. Most of those, as I said, have Parkinson's. To date, five in our body has passed away. They have been fighting together as nurse specialists. There are four in the country but are now in our region in the South East. A nurse specialist, you know, the funding to train for nurse specialists and create a course of nurse specialists in Clonmel or in the South East Prairie area. They would ideally like to have a neurologist and have a clinic there. But teacher, will you implore and urge to HSE and the Minister for Health to provide nurse specialists and hopefully, as I said, neurologists later than that, to help these people who are doing so much to help themselves. They're vulnerable people and they're sufferers but they are supporting themselves. They need this one nurse specialist in the region to do that work and to support them in their role. The HSE service plan provides for an extra 3,000 posts in the health service next year. I'm not sure how many of them are going to be clinical nurse specialists but I will advise the Minister for Health that you raise this matter here today and ask them to reply to you directly. No. SPEAKER 2 SPEAKER 2 Allen SPEAKER 2 No. No. Level 2 莉 Ssgan
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