28 April 2010

Michael McGimpsey announces extra funding to develop

neuro-physiotherapy services

A £50,000 funding boost for neuro-physiotherapy services will be used to set up a regional network which will work to improve services for patients suffering from conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Announcing the funding during MS Week, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said that the new network will include neuro-physiotherapists and nurse specialists who are experts in dealing with these long-term conditions.

He said: “People who suffer from long-term conditions like multiple sclerosis, and in particular the MS Society, have expressed concerns about their difficulty in accessing specialist physiotherapy services.

“I would like to immediately provide more funding to increase our specialist physiotherapy capacity. I regret that this is just not possible with the very limited resources available to me this year.

“However I believe that the additional £50,000 is a welcome and meaningful start to the development of a network that will result in better services for people with neurological disease.

“The network will involve health care professionals from different disciplines working together to improve services for patients across Northern Ireland, to ensure high quality care, identify gaps and areas of need. It will help to ensure that we use the physiotherapy skills available within the system to the best possible advantage for patients.”

Further work is also underway by the department to develop an Allied Health Professions (AHPs) strategy. It will focus on which services need to be provided by professionals such as physiotherapists, and examine how to make best use of their skills and expertise for the benefit of the population.

Work on the development of a neuro-therapy network is now underway. The AHP strategy is expected to be completed by the summer.

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