§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what plans he has to provide a specialist paediatric epilepsy nurse in the Province; [164913]
(2) if he will make a statement on the provision of paediatric nurse specialists for the NHS. [164923]
§ Angela SmithThe Department has invested over a number of years in the provision of paediatric nursing in the community. The aim of community paediatric nursing service is to provide a range of professional skills to meet the needs of children, e.g. asthma/ respiratory care, diabetes, behaviour management, epilepsy, pain management, nutrition and constipation and palliative care. The service is aimed at those children with disability, chronic and life limiting illness.
Traditionally, access to a specialist epilepsy nurse was through a regional service, but the increasing prevalence of this condition has required Boards to commission a 284W more locally based service from within the community paediatric service. The development of this service means that only in exceptional circumstances should a child have to attend the regional service, thereby not interrupting school and normal activities of living.
Boards are continuing to review and invest in paediatric community services.