ABSTRACT
Improving the care of people with long-term conditions is a key government target and the National Service Framework for Long Term Neurological Conditions (NSFLTnC) published in March 2005 has a ten-year implementation plan to achieve this priority (DoH 2005). With our ageing population there has been an increase in the incidence and prevalence of neurological disability overall and this trend is likely to continue owing to increased life expectancy and improvements in medical care. Currently there are approximately ten million people across the United Kingdom with a long-term neurological condition (LTnC). These individuals account for 20 per cent of acute hospital admissions and are the third most common reason for people seeing their GP. It is estimated that 350,000 people in the UK need help with daily living activities owing to a neurological condition and 850,000 people extend care to this user group (DoH 2005). Neurological conditions have a considerable impact upon health and overall wellbeing. Individuals who have neurological problems may experience a wide range of complex physical, sensory, cognitive, psychological, emotional, behavioural and social difficulties and will have a broad range of needs that impinge not only on their own lifestyle but on that of their family and carers. Access to a wide range of health, social and voluntary care services throughout the duration of the illness is required, as a direct or indirect consequence of the condition or of its complications. These support services need to be planned, coordinated and well managed in order to be both timely and accessible. There is accumulating evidence that properly planned, accessible and integrated multidisciplinary services, delivered by skilled, multidisciplinary teams can improve, not only the care given to individuals with a LTnC, but also the quality of their lives and that of their carers (NHS Modernisation Agency 2005). The NSFLTnC is aiming to transform the way health and social care services are supporting people, encouraging the concept that appropriate team-working and improved disease management and self-care strategies can deliver better care by preventing or solving many of the problems that neurological conditions may cause. Specifically this chapter will outline how the NSFLTnC aims to raise standards of care for people with neurological problems. It will provide a brief overview of the more common neurological conditions and their effects, and how neurological conditions should be managed by health and social care services throughout the whole patient pathway.
