Care & services
The neuro ward at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has a new lease of life thanks to the wife of one former patient, who was inspired to act by how underfunded it was. Now, Caroline Critchlow is turning her fundraising attention to another neuro centre, with plans to create a therapy garden
Although it was back in 2013 that her husband underwent major brain surgery, Caroline Critchlow remembers it like it was yesterday. Not just for the understandable trauma, anxiety and distress caused by your husband undergoing a 22-hour operation, the longest ever performed at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary - but equally for the state of the hospital neuro ward, which will forever be ingrained in her memory. “It was in a terrible state. The day room was in dreadful condition, which is the place relatives like me waited, and where patients took a break away from their beds. When you went to the loo, the toilet seat was cracked; the lino was held together with tape; the coffee table was broken; the wallpaper was peeling off,” recalls Caroline.
Specialist care provider Sue Ryder is making significant investment in neurological care as it continues to develop its offering.
The group has four specialist neurological care centres across England and Scotland, one of which is newly-built to increase provision in its area, and another doubling capacity in recent months to accommodate growing demand. In addition to ongoing investment in its centres, Sue Ryder is looking to increase support for outpatients with expansion of its Care at Home service being considered, building on the success of its outreach home care model in Scotland.
Visitors from across the world will join an array of global speakers at a major event in caring for young people with brain injuries.
The fourth National Paediatric Brain Injury Conference, organised by The Children’s Trust - which provides residential and community care for children with neurological injuries and disabilities - is to be held online due to the ongoing impact and implications of COVID-19. And while the pandemic will prevent the Connections and Collaborations being held in person, the decision to take it online means it can attract an audience far beyond its base in Tadworth, Surrey. The event, on February 4, brings together some of the neuro sector’s leading clinical professionals to explore some of the fundamental elements involved in a child’s recovery following an acquired brain injury.
For Leanne, who has MS, the opportunity to gather with loved ones on Christmas Day is one she feels she must decline. Here, she shares her reasons for choosing to be lonely this Christmas.
Christmas is my favourite time of year, and ordinarily I’d be out celebrating, seeing friends and family, and planning something really fantastic to see in the new year. But like for so many other people, 2020 is going to be so different. I’ll be completely on my own. And while under normal circumstances that would be the most heartbreaking Christmas I could imagine, this year it is undoubtedly my best option. At least, that way, I’ll still be here to enjoy 2021 and the years beyond that.
A high-tech system which enables the emergency assessment of patients with suspected stroke has now become adopted by the whole of the UK after being approved for use in Northern Ireland.
The telehealth system developed by Hospital Services Limited (HSL) has been hailed as providing “next generation” support to clinicians and consultants in being able to carry out video consultations and diagnosis of patients by smartphone or tablet. HSL’s technology is already in place in hospitals and many GP surgeries in the UK and Ireland, and has now been introduced into Northern Ireland, to bring additional resources to medics and enable vital interventions in time-critical treatments.
The Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Lancashire opened, after years in the planning, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Centre director Terry Mears and neuro rehab lead Hannah Halliwell share their experience of such a difficult, yet rewarding, time.
Opening a new specialist neurological care and rehab centre is a seismic task in any climate - but to do so at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is probably a feat few would attempt. But having been badly wanted and needed in its area for over 15 years, and after an 18-month construction and development project, the Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Lancashire opened its doors to patients in April.
A charity which provides residential and community care for children with neurological injuries and disabilities has secured the support of a celebrity who himself has overcome brain trauma in appealing for vital funds to sustain its work.
From its base in Tadworth, Surrey, The Children’s Trust has worked with 3,000 children and their families in the past two years, delivering specialist rehabilitation and tailored support as they rebuild their lives following injury or illness.
In support of its fundraising efforts, TV and music star Martin Kemp has committed his support, fronting a BBC Lifeline documentary to highlight the work of the charity.
A first-of-its-kind course for nurses to enhance their capability in supporting patients recovering from brain injuries and strokes has been developed.
The online course, which is open to applications from around the world, enables registered nurses to study part-time while continuing their clinical roles, and will enable them to develop integrated brain, body and mind specialist skills, which are urgently needed in neurological rehabilitation.
A project has been launched to introduce smart assistant devices into residential facilities for brain injury patients to enhance their wellbeing and increase their communication with the outside world both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
The Disabilities Trust is pioneering the ConnectAbility project, which makes use of technologies and digital means to help increase independence and widen opportunities for social interaction among patients.
Through raising money to buy smart assistant devices, such as the Amazon Alexa, the Trust believes this could help people to live independently and bridge the ‘digital literacy’ gap which have previously prevented many people, particularly those with cognitive impairments, from benefitting from technology.
Rehabilitation services for stroke and other neurological diseases have seen a slower recovery in outpatient clinics than those in inpatient settings as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has found.
Outpatient services were largely stopped or significantly scaled back when the pandemic hit, the study said, and continue to take longer to recover post-lockdown, which could have long-term implications for patients into the future.
Decreases of around 36 per cent compared to 2019 were seen in the ability of outpatient units to interact with patients, with many appointments being delayed for between 3 and 6 months.
In an inpatient setting, the decrease was around 27 per cent at the peak COVID-19 period, although the recovery in rates of seeing patients came much quicker.
