AQO 1577/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 06/02/2025
Answered On Date: 18/02/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the establishment of a facial palsy pathway.

Answer:

A Facial Palsy Regional Planning Group was established in September 2023. The group developed an action plan which included the establishment of a local and regional pathway to assist with assessment and treatment.

A pathway has now been developed for local services for adults. This has been a complex process with multiple services involved in the pathway development, and multiple access points into the service across all Trusts in Northern Ireland. This standardised pathway will ensure appropriate treatment of patients in local services as far as possible and will also outline the appropriate referral pathway for those requiring more enhanced specialist intervention.

Communication will be issued to each Trust in the coming weeks to inform them of the agreed pathway and an information session will be delivered to GPs to aide with timely and appropriate referral.

I understand a paediatric pathway for assessment and treatment is also being developed for local services. This will be shared with members of the Facial Palsy Regional Planning Group for feedback in the coming weeks.

In addition, to assist patients which are experiencing facial palsy symptoms a new NI Direct webpage has recently been established. This will signpost patients to helpful information whist waiting for assessment. A video has been produced by a service user advocate, which has been used on social media platforms to promote the new NI Direct webpage.

It is hoped that further recurrent investment can be secured to put in place an enhanced regional service for those requiring highly specialised services – however this is not possible at the present time given wider service pressures and priorities.