Galway Bay fm newsroom - A new report has highlighted gaps in neurology services being offered at Irish hospitals - including at University Hospital Galway.
The report, entitled "Neurology Resourcing in Ireland; Five Years On", has been published by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland.
The survey was conducted between November and January and examined 12 neurology centres nationwide.
It found waiting times at UHG of more than 12 months for non-emergency MRI's.
The NAI notes access to MRI is increasingly important for neurology services as a diagnostic tool and critical aspect of ongoing monitoring and treatment programmes.
It also reported very limited access to community neuro-rehabilitation services and post-acute inpatient neuro-rehabilitation services in Galway.
Nationally, the report found while there has been some progress since 2015, such as in addressing regional gaps in consultant staffing, there has been deterioration in other areas.
These areas include multidisciplinary teams that are understaffed in all 12 neurology centres and waiting lists that have increased by 40 percent over the past five years.
It's noted that there is a particularly significant shortfall in the number of clinical nurse specialists, who are critical to delivering neurological care and achieving better outcomes.
