Inaction in neurology in Northern Ireland has been called a “false economy” by Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland manager Carla Smyth.
In a guest piece in public policy forum Pivotal Platform, she quoted The Economist Intelligence Unit, saying the cost of neurology could be cut by a third with timely and improved access to care.
The direct and indirect cost of neurology in the UK in 2019 was reported at around £96 billion annually. The report said this could be reduced by £30.8 billion with better access to care.
Carla highlighted the human cost to this inaction, saying “…it’s an indictment of a system that allows often treatable conditions to escalate into crises.”
She added that this means health conditions are deteriorating, which is causing a “preventable rise in disability across Northern Ireland”.
Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland has been campaigning for better services in Northern Ireland. One in every 90 people in the country has epilepsy, but some people are having to wait years to see a specialist.
The organisation says there are currently less than five full-time adult epilepsy specialist nurses in the whole of Northern Ireland.
Campaigns have raised the unacceptable waiting times for epilepsy appointments and the serious shortage of epilepsy specialist staff. Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland has been calling for more investment into additional resources.
In her Pivotal piece, Carla called for investment into neurology and the development of care standards, patient pathways and data infrastructure.
You can read the full guest blog on the Pivotal Platform website and find out more about the campaign on the Epilepsy Action website.
More articles
