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23.07.17
11 Deputy S.Y. Mézec of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding funding
for Motor Neurone Disease (OQ.151/2023)
Further to reports that funding from the M.N.D. (Motor Neurone Disease) Association for the Island’s only motor neurone disease specialist nurse will be ending in the next few months, will the Minister advise what actions she will take to ensure that adequate support remains for those affected by this disease?
Deputy K. Wilson of St. Clement (The Minister for Health and Social Services):
Thank you to the Deputy for his question. I have also been approached by the Connétable of St. Helier , so if I could I want to reply to both of you on that basis. What I would just like to say is thank you to the M.N.D. Association for the continued support of the specialist nurse. The actions that I will be taking will be to meet with the M.N.D. Association after the summer recess to understand what the resource requirements will be for the continuation of the nurse specialist. This nurse specialist is critical in avoiding admissions and so we want to realise the benefits associated with that contribution. So I have asked the medical care group to continue to work closely with the clinician in post to make sure that individual needs for patients and appropriate care plans are in place in the interim.
4.11.1 Deputy S.Y. Mézec :
I thank the Minister for her answer. It appeared from reports of this that the specialist nurse position would be ending because of the loss of funding. Does the Minister accept that in not committing to any clear action in relation to this specific role now, while the Government is in the process of putting the Government Plan together, which will be the place for additional funding for this kind of thing, if necessary, then there is a risk that those actions may occur too late to safeguard this service in the short term? Can she attempt to give the Assembly reassurance that there will not be a gap in service provided to these people?
Deputy K. Wilson :
Yes, and I reflect the Deputy ’s concerns about it. I will do my utmost to try and protect the resource for this. There is a meeting tomorrow with the Neurology Department to scope out the resource requirement, and I think any consideration of that will be reflected in our planning going forward, but at this stage I cannot commit to anything at this moment in time.