Neurological Services Review to further improve services
29.07.2009
Neurological Services Review to further improve services
NHS Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire County Council are working in partnership with Neurological Commissioning Support (a joint initiative from the MS Society, Parkinson’s Disease Society and the Motor Neurone Disease Association) to look at how to further improve neurological services for people in the county.
The first part of the review will look at care, treatment and support for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Motor Neurone Disease (MND) with a view to extending this to other neurological conditions later on.
The review is being driven by people living with one of these conditions and their carers. Their views are key to the review and to shaping services for the future in Gloucestershire.
A stakeholder event took place in November 2008 attended by over eighty people and a reference group of service users and carers was then formed to work alongside the steering group and drive the review forward.
Three workstream groups, representing the three conditions, are being formed to look at the range of services available, how people receive care in Gloucestershire and to contribute to a plan for the future. They met for the first time on July 28 for the official launch of the review.
Director of Clinical Change at NHS Gloucestershire, Jan Marriott said:
“This review will give service users more control over the services they wish to use and the manner in which they receive their care and support.”
“The views of service users and their carers will guide this review with the aim of developing improved services that deliver high quality care and value for money.”
“We listened very carefully to the views of people at the November 2008 event and in response we have already agreed to appoint two specialist nurses for Parkinson’s Disease and one specialist nurse for Motor Neurone Disease. These posts are jointly funded by NHS Gloucestershire, the MND Association and the Parkinson’s Disease Society.”
Cllr Tony Hicks, Cabinet Member for Adult Services at Gloucestershire County Council said:
“This important review will ensure that people living with the three long term conditions have access to joined up community based services provided as close to home as possible, as well as quality information to help these individuals and carers to make informed choices and decisions about the care they receive.”
Head of Neurological Commissioning Support, Sue Thomas said:
“This work will enable people who have a neurological condition to be right at the heart of planning the health and social care services they need. This is a unique opportunity to place users in the driving seat in Gloucestershire.”
The organisations leading the review will ensure regular communication and engagement with staff, service users and carers and community partners as part of the review.
