NAS are delighted to launch the 2023 Annual Reports of the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) and the Patient Advocacy Service.
Each Annual Report presents the key activities, statistics, and achievements of both Services in 2023, and highlights the continued trend of a growing demand for independent advocacy services in Ireland.
In 2023, the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) experienced a 12.5% increase in demand for advocacy services. Despite facing significant pressure, the NAS continues to work on a range of issues, including housing, healthcare, and representation of individual preferences. In the past year, NAS’s waiting list remained persistently high, with 248 on the list at the end of 2023. Additional resources will be essential to secure the future ability of the service to meet the growing demand for advocacy.
2023 saw a continued growth in demand for the Patient Advocacy Service with 2,012 new contacts received, representing an 8.2% increase compared to 2022. The Service experienced a significant increase in enquiries and cases related to nursing home complaints. Advocates supported 197 individuals seeking to make complaints about their care in nursing homes, representing a nearly 150% increase from 2022.
Joanne Condon, National Manager for NAS said:
“In 2023 12% of our advocacy work focused on supporting people experiencing various financial barriers, highlighting the prevalence of the issue and urgent need for systemic change to ensure equal financial rights for all. This is just one element of NAS’s work that showcases the organisation’s pivotal role in advocating for the rights of disabled people across Ireland. The publication of our 2023 Annual report is an opportunity to reflect on the myriad of persistent inequalities faced by people with disabilities in Ireland and why it is essential that Independent Advocacy is adequately resourced for the future.”
Georgina Cruise, National Manager of the Patient Advocacy Service, said:
“Access to independent advocacy provides crucial impartial support and plays a vital role in empowering patients in public acute hospitals and residents in nursing homes to have their rights upheld and their voice, will and preference heard.
Complaints also provide the opportunity for learning and improved patient safety. The Patient Advocacy Service supports the elevation of the patient voice and the opportunity to share their lived experience and empowers people with knowledge to advocate for themselves in their ongoing care, encouraging collaboration and patient partnership to promote a culture of compassion, openness, learning and quality improvement.”
You can find both Annual Reports at the links below.
National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) Annual Report 2023
Patient Advocacy Service Annual Report 2023
Please click the links below to view to two short information videos.
National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS)
