AQW 29399/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 08/02/2022
Answered On Date: 25/03/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health how many doctors are employed in the Health Service with the specialist neurological training to diagnose and treat Tourette’s; and how often is this training updated.

Answer:

In line with NICE guidelines, diagnosis of Tourette’s does not require specialist training; it is a symptoms-based diagnosis.

However, there are 10 Consultant Neurologists and 1 Consultant Psychiatrist across the Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland with sub-specialty expertise in movement disorders or training in Tourette’s as part of their Certificate of Completion of Training.

All Neurology Consultants engage in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and education, which can include movement disorders, including Tics and Tourette’s.

Tourette’s syndrome is usually diagnosed in paediatric services as, in most cases, symptoms begin under the age of 18 years. CAMHS medical staff attend CPD specific events on an annual basis, some of which will cover Tic Disorders and their management, including specific pharmacological management through attending the British Association for Psychopharmacology course.