| People with long-term neurological conditions to get faster treatment, government promises
March
15, 2005
by staff reporter
People with long-term neurological conditions will get faster diagnosis, more rapid treatment and a comprehensive package of care, the government has promised.
Ministers say a new national service framework for long term conditions will transform health and social care services in England and help people with conditions such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and acquired brain and spinal cord injuries to live more full and independent lives.
Approximately 10 million people in the UK have a neurological condition. These account for 20% of acute hospital admissions and are the third-most common reason for seeing a GP.
More than one million people attend accident and emergency departments each year with a head injury, which can lead to long term neurological damage.
Services in the new framework for people with long-term neurological conditions include:
- Comprehensive assessment and regular review of their needs
- Joint health and social care plans that change over time (especially for those with rapidly progressing conditions) and take other needs into account such as housing, transport, benefits, education, careers advice, employment and leisure
- Every individual will have a single point of access to services via a named contact
- Self referral, allowing individuals to refer themselves quickly back to services as their care needs change
- Access to a broad range of services including rehabilitation, equipment, accommodation and personal care to help them live as independently as possible at home
- Support to help people to work or take up other vocational opportunities
The government said that key to implementing the service framework, launched last week, will be partnerships between statutory services and the voluntary and independent sector.
The framework also promises closer links between GPs, local hospitals and specialist neuroscience and spinal cord injury centres
Community Minister Stephen Ladyman said: "This service framework is about multi-disciplinary health, social service, housing, voluntary sector and independent sector teams working closely together to help people manage their own condition and live a full life.
"Investing in rehabilitation services and flexible packages of care and support will help people live more independently and be a more cost effective way of providing services.
Read for yourself:
The
government's long term conditions national service framework
Add your
comments
What
do you think? Email your comments on the above
article to the editor using the form below. Selected comments will
be displayed.
© 2001-7 Psychminded Limited. All
rights reserved
Email
a colleague
about this article
|
|
