News

Nurse appointed to help improve services for patients with neurological conditions

Former RCN policy adviser Sue Thomas appointed chief executive of an NHS 'commissioning support provider'

A nurse has been appointed to lead an advisory service that aims to help NHS commissioners improve services for patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Former RCN policy adviser Sue Thomas has become chief executive of the newly formed Commissioning Excellence directorate of an organisation called NHiS, which aims to help clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) interpret admissions data and devise ideas for saving money and improving neurology care. NHiS is owned by Wilmington plc.

One part of the strategy is to reduce emergency admission rates. Patients with neurological conditions are often referred to hospital with problems such as urinary tract infections when they could be treated in the community by practice and district nurses, said Ms Thomas.

Emergency admissions rates among people with neurological conditions have been increasing at more than double the rate of that for all other conditions, and cutting this figure is vital for improving services and saving money, she added.

‘We have been devising referral pathways so that patients can be treated by professionals such as practice nurses and community nurses instead of being sent to hospitals. We can do clinical profiles for CCGs to look at their admission and the services they provide to see how they can be improved.’

The National Audit Office concluded in a 2011 report, Services for people with neurological conditions, that many patients are not given information on their condition, about local services or on available support.

Ms Thomas added: ‘People with neurological problems are being let down while millions of pounds are being wasted providing health and social care services that are not meeting their needs. We want to assist commissioners and providers to improve services.’