People living with conditions like Parkinson’s could benefit from quicker diagnosis and better coordinated care as part of a new NHS initiative, which is also set to free up millions of pounds to reinvest in patient care.
NHS experts have joined forces with seven leading charities to produce a toolkit that will help local health groups improve services for people with conditions including Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Parkinson’s, including rolling out fast-tracked blood tests and consultant appointments over Skype for those who want them.
Up to 2,500 emergency admissions to hospital a year could be avoided for patients with these conditions as a result, with up to £10 million freed up to fund improved services.
The guidance aims to help Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) deliver faster diagnosis and treatment for progressive neurological conditions, better join-up the different health professionals and organisations supporting each individual, and improve access to specialist physical and mental health care.
People will also be supported to better understand and manage their symptoms at home, and to take a more informed and active role in making decisions about the treatment they receive.
Created with Parkinson’s UK, MS Society, MS Trust, MND Association, Sue Ryder, MSA Trust and PSP Association, the guidance comes as local health groups are working with staff and communities to develop their plans to join up and improve care over the next five years, to deliver the benefits for patients set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Dawn Chamberlain, Programme Director – Clinical Improvement at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said:
This is an opportunity for the NHS to work directly with patients and their families to deliver better care closer to home for the thousands of people with progressive neurological conditions. As they work with staff, patients and stakeholders to implement the NHS Long Term Plan, this toolkit provides the information local health leaders need to understand how to deliver high quality neurology services. Many areas are already providing high quality care in line with best practice, and by supporting others to come up to the same standard, we can deliver faster, more joined-up and better care for thousands more people – supporting them to stay well in their own homes.
The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit is the latest publication from the NHS RightCare programme, which was set up to provide support to local CCGs to improve care in key areas, based on the best-available data, evidence and intelligence.
Alongside the best practice guidance, CCGs will receive extensive data on local performance, and tailored support to improve their offer to patients.
The charities who have worked closely with the NHS RightCare team to develop the toolkit will continue to support efforts to see it implemented effectively, with the shared aim of improving care for everyone living with a progressive neurological condition in England.
www.england.nhs.uk/rightcare/products/pathways/progressive-neurological-conditions-toolkit/
