Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue has said the news that a second neurologist will finally be appointed for the North West has come as a welcome relief to the hundreds of people in the region who have been waiting over a year to see a neurologist.
“The waiting list for a routine appointment with a neurologist in the North West is now up to 4 years. It is unacceptable that so many patients from across Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and west Cavan who are suffering from MS, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions have been waiting years to see a neurologist,” explained Deputy McConalogue.
“Last year the HSE said a second neurologist based in Sligo would help to ease the burden significantly. However it proved difficult to fill the post. The HSE has now informed me that the post has finally been filled and discussions are underway with the successful candidate on a start date.
“There is no doubt that this will provide some welcome relief and help in reducing waiting times. However, our neurology services are still severely under-resourced and overburdened. Much more needs to be done to address this.
“There are over 700,000 people affected by neurological illnesses in Ireland today. Nationally, more than 5,000 patients have been waiting for over a year to see a neurologist and approximately 1,000 people have been waiting for more than 4 years. This is unacceptable. I will continue to push the Government to advance the neurological services in the North West and across the country to bring us in line with our European counterparts,” Deputy McConalogue said.