Health Minister launches Neurological Conditions Delivery Plan
8 May 2014 04:34 PM
Health Minister Mark Drakeford has launched a
plan setting out new commitments to help people with neurological
conditions
Approximately 500,000 people in Wales are affected by a
neurological condition, which may be caused by damage to the brain, spinal
column or nerves as a result of illness or injury.
The
Welsh Government wants to ensure those affected have timely access to
high-quality care, which is joined up with social services where appropriate,
irrespective of where they live and how these services are
delivered.
The
Neurological Conditions Delivery Plan provides a framework for action by health
boards and their partners. It sets out the Welsh Government’s
expectations for the planning and delivery of person-centred care and focuses
on meeting population need, tackling variation in access to services and
reducing inequalities across seven themes:
- Raising awareness of neurological
conditions
- Timely diagnosis of neurological
conditions
- Fast and effective care
- Living with a neurological condition
- Children and young people
- Improving information
- Targeting research
Launching the plan at the Association of British
Neurologists Annual Meeting in the Millennium Centre, Health Minister Mark
Drakeford said:
“Neurological conditions have a very serious and
lasting impact on the lives of individuals and their families.
“Raising awareness among the public and clinicians
is very important as all too often symptoms of these conditions can be
misunderstood.
“This plan provides the necessary guidance and
clarifies required standards. We must provide excellent care, whether that is
through timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment or continuing
support.
“I believe we can achieve high-quality prudent
care for people with a range of neurological conditions, based on a partnership
between the NHS and the users. The partnership will recognise and jointly put
to work the expertise of both to bring about improvement individually and
collectively.
“The NHS must also work with partner organisations
in the public and voluntary sector. By focusing on quality and
individual’s experiences we will deliver the improvements we all want to
achieve.”
Health boards will now develop and implement their own
plans to deliver well co-ordinated services for patients. Specialised care
needs to be well connected to local services, providing better patient
experience and outcomes. In particular, it is essential that NHS and its
partners focus on meeting population needs, reducing inequalities in health and
variation in access to services across Wales.
This document - one of a suite of national service
delivery plans – is designed to develop and improve services for people
with neurological conditions. It requires the NHS and its partners
to:
- Carry out local population needs
assessments
- Analyse the gap between current provision and the
requirements in this plan
- Plan and take action to close that gap
- Demonstrate, through regular reporting, improved
outcomes for patients, with an emphasis on reducing health
inequalities
The
NHS, working with its partners, must deliver the new commitments to the
population of Wales by 2017.
Links
Neurological conditions delivery plan