Debate contribution: Neurology Services
Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on .
- MLA
- Mr Gerry Carroll
- Party at the time
- People Before Profit Alliance
- Date
- 9 December 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Neurology Services
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5296345
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will speak in the main about two individuals. The first is a lady called Jeanette. Twelve years ago, she was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which is condition that disrupts the brain and body communication, leading to symptoms such as seizures, tremors, paralysis and chronic pain. Despite its prevalence, FND remains widely misunderstood, with minimal awareness, inadequate health services and significant stigma. At the time of Jeanette's diagnosis, there were no care pathways, specialists or rehabilitation services available. There are misdiagnoses and dismissal. Jeanette was ridiculed and told by healthcare professionals that her symptoms were imagined or that she was attention-seeking. I hope that she was the only one who was told that, but I am sure that she was not. There is also a lack of resources. Patients were left to research their condition themselves, with no structured care or support from the healthcare system. There is a stigma. FND patients were often blamed for their condition, which exacerbated emotional distress for patients and their families. There is also insufficient medical education. Many clinicians lack the knowledge or confidence to manage FND, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Jeanette and her family were determined to take action. She founded the charity FND Matters NI, which I am sure that Members are familiar with. It has provided 800 hours of free counselling funded by grants and members' contributions. It has set up support networks and established drop-in sessions, as well as a befriending service and social media platforms to connect patients and families. It does really important stuff. It provides training for healthcare professionals and advocates for better education to improve understanding and care for FND patients. I thank Jeanette and her group for their work. Despite that effort and that sterling work, systemic issues persist. There are no formal care pathways for people with FND, no rehabilitation programmes or specialist healthcare professionals for FND patients.
Patients are still dismissed, stigmatised and left without adequate support. There is delayed diagnosis and a lack of treatment, leading to worsening symptoms for many and placing emotional and financial strain on families in the healthcare system. FND is a common but under-recognised condition, and the lack of timely, appropriate care has severe consequences for patients and their families. Patient-led organisations like FND Matters are leading the charge for change, but systemic support is still urgently needed. As Jeanette states:
"Stop being a stumbling block and be their stepping stone".
I urge the Minister to pay heed to that and ensure that FND support is in place.
The second person whom I want to speak about is a constituent of mine, Ms Catherine Mullen. I met her and her daughter on Friday. She is one of the tens of thousands of people who are waiting for treatment and to see a consultant. Despite the severity of her seizures and her neurological issues, she has been told that she will have to wait at least five years to see a consultant. That is completely unacceptable. Her GP wants to start her on medication. However, she has been told that she has to wait because she is under a consultant, despite never having seen a consultant. That is completely unacceptable, and I urge the Minister to act on that. To add insult to injury, Catherine was recently forced to wait two hours for an ambulance to come when she fell after her seizure and was found to be black and blue. She lives just a stone's throw away from the Royal Hospital. That is completely unacceptable. I do not blame the people working in the Royal or anywhere else for that, but that is a symptom of the failure of the system. Her GP has put in an urgent referral but has been told that Catherine will have to wait years. That is totally unacceptable, Minister. I know that she is not the only person, but she is the person whom I most recently met, and I urge you to hear her story, listen to her concerns and make sure that she gets the treatment that she deserves. After one recent seizure, the cooker in the house was left on. The family told me that it was a miracle that nobody was tragically injured or worse. As Catherine's daughter said to me on Friday:
"Does it take her"
— her mother —
"to smash her head open to get treatment?"
I urge the Minister to listen to that call and that story and make sure that Catherine gets the treatment that she deserves, as well as the tens of thousands of people across the North who are waiting for treatment.
776 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.94).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.94 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.99 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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