[Apparelyzed]

Spinal centre under ‘extreme pressure’

Services at the National Spinal Injuries Centre in Dublin’s Mater Hospital are under “extreme pressure”, spinal surgeon Mr Ashley Poynton has warned.

There are currently between 40 and 60 patients on the waiting list for spinal surgery, including a large number of urgent patients, he explained.

Mr Poynton has called for more consultant spinal surgical expertise and “contractual changes” to resolve the issue.

There is agreement in principle to bring a consultant spinal surgeon from Limerick to the Mater, but funding arrangements have still not been negotiated.

“The problems have arisen because the service has not been appropriately funded,” Mr Poynton said.

The Mater now has five spinal surgeons providing the service but it probably should have eight, he added. One of the issues is out-of-hours diagnostic imaging: a spinal MRI scan cannot be carried out in the public system in Limerick or Galway – where there are also spinal surgeons – after 5pm. “We deal with the fall-out from that,” Mr Poynton said.

“I have patients coming across the country from Galway at weekends for an MRI scan. The last one was an 80-year-old woman who had a bleed into her spinal cord, after anaesthesia. She had to come from Galway on a Saturday in an ambulance to get an MRI scan. That’s outrageous.”

Many cases at the Mater – such as spinal cord compression from degenerative changes (which leads to a narrowing of the spinal cord canal) are now being treated later than they should be, Mr Poynton added.

The unit in the Mater was set up initially to deal with 40 cases per year. It now annually deals with between 400 and 500 cases.

Mr Poynton added that there were severe problems in terms of theatre capacity, access and beds. “The Mater has ten spinal beds, but it is always under pressure.”

A novel proposal on the table is to bring a consultant spinal surgeon from Limerick to the Mater and for funding (for prostheses etc) to follow. Because of the diagnostic and other problems, those patients are coming to the Mater in any case.

“When you are dealing with spines and paralysis, you need constant round-the-clock diagnostic imaging, theatre access and a multi-disciplinary team. You cannot provide that service in Limerick,” said Mr Poynton.

Following initial discussions, a series of meetings are due to take place with the HSE about the possible move. The proposal – which is based on the ‘money following the patient’ concept – depends on funding.

Source: http://www.imt.ie/ne...e-pressure.html

[Wheelsonfire]

Not much will change there Simon, the HSE(Health Service Thingy) is in bad shape, well actually the entire State is in the

I won't bore you with detail as it would be lengthy so I will keep it brief, the HSE was set up for the Minister for Health to pass the buck, the dude that is over it is the brother of my Urologist and is doing the best possible, his best won't be enough, major cutbacks due to the Government/Banking sector screwing us to the wall and will do with a thing know as NAMA for the next 30/40 years and then some.... Those with a disability have no rights on this island, Disability Act is a sham...

[JimG]

I made an off-hand comment about "socialized medicine" pigeon-holing and/or delaying imaging and treatments to SCI people I've known on the internet awhile back and got my head bit-off and told not to be political by some......

Looks like maybe I was right after all.

[rue2you]

JimG, on 08 September 2010 - 08:50 PM, said:

I made an off-hand comment about "socialized medicine" pigeon-holing and/or delaying imaging and treatments to SCI people I've known on the internet awhile back and got my head bit-off and told not to be political by some......

Looks like maybe I was right after all.

That's kind of what I was thinking Jim. I have a very dear friend in England with MS and this is her view of it also.

[airart1]

and we're gonna get that good service here in the statees soon!!!! scary......

[Wheelsonfire]

rue2you, on 09 September 2010 - 02:15 AM, said:

That's kind of what I was thinking Jim. I have a very dear friend in England with MS and this is her view of it also.

England has it's own issues and the disability act is an act that favors the disabled in comparison to here, but then again, England is a different part of IRELAND

[pinkcloud]

Long waiting lists. Overworked and tired neurosurgeons. The poor surgeons are not robots. Having to do delicate surgery? Simon I think apparelyzed gonna have a lot more visitors on here looking for help controlling nerve pain.......... before and after surgery

[JimG]

rue2you, on 09 September 2010 - 02:15 AM, said:

JimG, on 08 September 2010 - 08:50 PM, said:

I made an off-hand comment about "socialized medicine" pigeon-holing and/or delaying imaging and treatments to SCI people I've known on the internet awhile back and got my head bit-off and told not to be political by some......

Looks like maybe I was right after all.

That's kind of what I was thinking Jim. I have a very dear friend in England with MS and this is her view of it also.

One of the people who really gave us hope that I didn't have ALS was a guy in England who was diagnosed and being treated for MS for 2 1/2 years, despite a glaring herniation at T5/6.

It was a rouge MD who saw him one day and personally escorted him to an MRI machine and demanded they take more images of that location that turned the tide.

Until then, he says he was trapped in the system and nobody would test him, b/c someone along the line said he had MS and that's what they were ONLY going to treat him for.