Recognize and fund FND services
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to recognize functional neurological disorder (FND) as a public health priority, fund research, awareness campaigns, and establish specialized multidisciplinary inpatient and outpatient FND clinics and support networks.
Why we would sign this petition
- Improves diagnosis and care: official recognition and specialized clinics could reduce diagnostic delays and provide multidisciplinary rehabilitation improving prognosis and quality of life.
- Increases awareness and reduces stigma: funded campaigns and professional education would raise clinician and public knowledge, likely improving access to appropriate care.
- Supports research and evidence-based treatment: dedicated funding would enable studies into causes, diagnosis and therapies to guide effective interventions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Cost and resource trade-offs: establishing clinics and funding programs requires substantial funding that may compete with other healthcare priorities.
- Implementation challenges: building multidisciplinary inpatient and outpatient services and ensuring trained staff across regions may be slow and uneven.
- Broad policy scope without specifics: the petition lacks detailed plans, timelines or measurable targets to ensure effective use of funds and accountability.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons of Canada We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: 1. Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a complex multi-network brain disorder that affects thousands of Canadian children and adults, yet it remains under-recognized and underfunded. 2. It is a common presentation in acute medical settings, neurology clinics, and epilepsy monitoring units. 3. FND manifests through various neurological symptoms, including limb weakness, paralysis, movement disorders, and seizures, without a known structural cause. 4. FND causes severe disability and impaired quality of life comparable to Parkinson's, MS and Epilepsy, yet awareness about FND remains low within clinical settings and the public. 5. Individuals with FND often face stigma, inadequate care and support. 6. Delays in diagnosis and lack of FND rehabilitation clinics lead to poor prognosis. Therefore, your petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Recognize FND as a significant public health issue requiring immediate action. 2. Implement awareness campaigns to educate healthcare professionals and the public about FND. 3. Promote the establishment of inpatient and outpatient specialized FND multidisciplinary clinics and support networks for individuals with FND. 4. Collaborate with advocacy organizations to ensure the voices of those affected are heard in healthcare planning. 5. Allocate funding for research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of FND.
Government response
No government response is available yet.