NEUROLOGY WAITING LISTS SOARING AT UHK

KERRY University Hospital is struggling to deliver appointments for patients with serious neurological conditions according to new figures which show the waiting list has almost doubled over the past year and a half.

The waiting times for neurology appointments have meanwhile lengthened alarming leading to a situation deemed ‘unacceptable’ by one Kerry TD who is this week calling for the HSE to appoint a dedicated neurologist to the hospital.

409 people, many of whom are living with the serious effects of conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons and epilepsy, are now waiting for appointments at the hospital - up from 283, representing a rise of 44 per cent. Numbers waiting longer than 12 months for an appointment surged by 451 per cent in the period January 2016 to October last, according to figures obtained by Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil.

“The waiting times for neurology appointments at University Hospital Kerry are completely unacceptable. We have also seen surges in the number of people waiting longer than 12 and 18 months for an appointment,” Deputy Brassil said.

“Between Jan 2016 and October 2017, the numbers of people waiting longer than 12 months increased by 451%. This is leaving patients with conditions such as MS, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions to have to endure excessively long wait times to see a neurologist,” he added.

The problem is being exacerbated by a shortage of neurologists nationally, placing additional pressure on the back-up of Cork University Hospital and the private Bons Secours hospital in Tralee. “The situation is unacceptable. Ideally we need a dedicated neurologist at UHK,” Deputy Brassil said.