Website of the Department of Health
Please note that this website has a UK government access keys system.
Page menu
You are here:
- Home >>
- Publications >>
- News releases
New Long Term conditions NSF launched today
-
Published date:10 March 2005
Millions of people with long-term neurological conditions will get faster diagnosis, more rapid treatment and a comprehensive package of care under a new framework announced today by Community Minister Stephen Ladyman.
The new National Service Framework for Long Term Conditions will transform health and social care services 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 as full and independent a life as possible.
Approximately 10 million people across 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. Over 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 NSF for people with long-term neurological conditions will 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
Key to implementing the NSF will be:
- Partnerships between statutory services and voluntary and independent sector organisations
- Closer links between GPs, local hospitals and specialist neuroscience and spinal cord injury centres
- More education about neurological conditions for staff in all health and care settings
John Reid, Secretary of State for Health said:
"This NSF will make a real difference to the many millions of people living with painful and often debilitating long term neurological conditions by giving them choice in how their care is delivered with services that are planned around their needs.
"We recently launched the long term conditions model which will provide the structured care that will keep people out of hospital and in some cases, prevent premature death. This NSF goes even further by spreading best practice that responds directly to the needs of this group of people."
Launching the NSF, Community Minister Stephen Ladyman said:
"This NSF 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.
"Although the NSF describes services for people with neurological conditions the principles can be applied to other long-term conditions. This NSF is another important landmark in our strategy to provide first class services for all people living with long-term conditions.
"I am also delighted to announce today that Kathryn Hudson and Ian Philp will be extending their remits as National Director of Social Care and National Director of Older People's Health to take forward the work of implementing the NSF. "
Diana Whitworth, Chair of the NSF External Reference Group (ERG) and former Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
"Of the millions of people with a neurological condition, 350,000 will need help with daily living. The measure of the success of this NSF will be the extent to which their quality of life is improved and their families and carers, too.
This NSF is not just about improved access to better diagnosis and treatment, its about how we better support individuals to live with the condition, participate in family life, where appropriate return to paid employment, and to be active members of their communities."
Professor Lynne Turner-Stokes, Deputy Chair of the ERG and Chair of Rehabilitation at Kings College London said:
"When we spoke to people who use services while gathering evidence for the NSF they told us that they want rapid access to specialist services, not just at the out-set, but throughout their lives. They want joined-up working between services and better information to help them make informed decisions about their care. It will be important to build on existing services and to develop networks which reach across all boundaries, to support people for the rest of their lives."
Marilyn Ekers, who has MS, brought a service user's perspective to the External Reference Group. She said:
"I hope the NSF raises standards of care, and gives everyone with long term neurological conditions quicker and easier access to services when they need them.
"I also hope it reduces times for diagnosis and getting assessed for services including equipment, which help people stay independent longer. My occupational therapist gave me a trolley to help me move crockery and other things because I can't carry them and walk safely. It sounds simple but being able to move things from one room to another in one go has made life a lot easier for me."
Jeff Jerome, the Joint Chair of Association of Directors of Social Services Disabilities Committee said:
"We wholeheartedly welcome this NSF and the increased focus of attention on the needs of people with long-term neurological conditions. It is a great opportunity to develop better and more integrated services for people with these conditions.
"It is particularly welcome that this NSF builds on other recent publications on long-term conditions, and heralds a new user-centred focus by the NHS on supporting people with neurological conditions over extended periods of time, and more often in their own homes. This will supplement and enhance the long-standing social care involvement."
Notes to editor
1. Neurological conditions are common and often cause physical, emotional, behavioural and cognitive difficulties. People often live with a neurological condition for decades. An estimated 350,000 people across the UK need help with daily living because of a neurological condition and 850,000 people care for someone with a neurological condition.
2. The NSF has been developed with the advice of an independent External Reference Group and involved consultation with stakeholders. The ERG was chaired by Diana Whitworth (former Chief Executive of Carers UK) and Sarah Mullally (formerly Chief Nursing Officer at Department of Health). The deputy chair was Professor Lynne Turner-Stokes (King's College Hospital and Northwick Park Hospital, Middlesex).
3. The NSF is supported by a web-based Good Practice Guidance which includes examples of innovative services illustrating each quality requirement. There is also a new web-based NHS Information Strategy which will assist services in planning how they will deliver the Long Term Conditions NSF. An information leaflet setting out the key points of the NSF will also be published through GP and hospital services. These, along with the National Service Framework will be available at www.dh.gov.uk/longtermnsf
4. The NSF illustrates the approach to long-term conditions described in Supporting People with Long Term Conditions: an NHS and Social Care Model to support local innovation and integration January 2005.
5. The NSF applies to England only
6. The Quality Requirements are:
Quality requirement 1: A person-centred service
People with long-term neurological conditions are offered integrated assessment and planning of their health and social care needs. They are to have the information they need to make informed decisions about their care and treatment and, where appropriate, to support them to manage their condition themselves.
Quality requirement 2: Early recognition, prompt diagnosis and treatment
People suspected of having a neurological condition are to have prompt access to specialist neurological expertise for an accurate diagnosis and treatment as close to home as possible.
Quality requirement 3: Emergency and acute management
People needing hospital admission for a neurosurgical or neurological emergency are to be assessed and treated in a timely manner by teams with the appropriate neurological and resuscitation skills and facilities.
Quality requirement 4: Early and specialist rehabilitation
People with long-term neurological conditions who would benefit from rehabilitation are to receive timely, ongoing, high quality rehabilitation services in hospital or other specialist settings to meet their continuing and changing needs. When ready, they are to receive the help they need to return home for ongoing community rehabilitation and support.
Quality requirement 5: Community rehabilitation and support
People with long-term neurological conditions living at home are to have ongoing access to a comprehensive range of rehabilitation, advice and support to meet their continuing and changing needs, increase their independence and autonomy and help them to live as they wish.
Quality requirement 6: Vocational rehabilitation
People with long-term neurological conditions are to have access to appropriate vocational assessment, rehabilitation and ongoing support, to enable them to find, regain or remain in work and access other occupational and educational opportunities.
Quality requirement 7: Providing equipment and accommodation
People with long-term neurological conditions are to receive timely, appropriate assistive technology/equipment and adaptations to accommodation to support them to live independently, help them with their care, maintain their health, and improve their quality of life.
Quality requirement 8: Providing personal care and support
Health and social care services work together to provide care and support to enable people with long-term neurological conditions to achieve maximum choice about living independently at home.
Quality requirement 9: Palliative care
People in the later stages of long-term neurological conditions are to receive a comprehensive range of palliative care services when they need them to control symptoms, offer pain relief, and meet their needs for personal, social, psychological and spiritual support, in line with the principles of palliative care.
Quality requirement 10: Supporting family and carers
Carers of people with long-term neurological conditions are to have access to appropriate support and services that recognise their needs both in their role as carer and in their own right.
Quality Requirement 11: Caring for people with neurological conditions in hospital or other health and social care settings
People with long-term neurological conditions are to have their specific neurological needs met while receiving treatment or care for other reasons in any health or social care setting.
7. The Modernisation Agency programme Action on Neurology which was set up to support delivery of the NSF will report later this month. The report will set out experience in pilot projects and will be published through the web-based good practice guide.
-
Contact:Department of Health
-
Phone:Department of health, public enquiries
020 7210 4850
Access keys
