Cutting down on long stays in out-of-county treatment centres and hospitals, bringing patients back to their families and empowering those with long-term conditions through rehabilitation are just some of the ways Gloucestershire’s Community Neurological Service (CNS) are transforming lives in the county.
The service is made up of specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapy and therapy support workers, who work together to assess and support those with a number of conditions including stroke survivors, those with spinal cord injuries and people living with progressive conditions like Motor Neurone Disease and Parkinsons.
After replacing a fragmented system involving lots of different teams, with a single point of access the service has extended its focus to making sure patient care happens as close to home as possible and often helps patients get back to their families sooner.
For Julie McGeever the introduction of the CNS team marked a turning point in her life after her stroke. After weeks of rehab and months away from home, learning how to adapt to the after-effects of a brain injury, Julie met Veronica and Karen, who guided her through every step, from learning how to make a cup of tea again to supervising her on walks as she gained strength.
“They joined Team Julie and the effect was so positive, their whole approach was about me and what I wanted,” she said.
Left with paralysis on her left side, and needing a stick to walk, life back at home has not been straightforward for Julie, 56, who was used to living an independent life. Her aim was to be able to dress and wash herself unaided and begin to do simple things around the house on her own.
“All the things I learned in rehab at the hospital in Bristol I had to learn again,” she said,
“I wasn’t prepared as much as I thought but Vron and Karen helped me each step of the way.”
Nine months on, Julie is able to take walks on her own each day and is adjusting to life as a stroke survivor.
“For me it has been hard. I don’t think I will ever get used to the amount of stuff my husband has to do for me. He has to drive me to every appointment and to have to keep asking him feels hard.
“I’ve never been someone who asked for help, I led teams and I was the CEO of the McGeever family, all while working full-time. Nobody can understand how hard it is to adjust. The recovery isn’t linear, there are up days and down days.
“Vron and Karen mean the world to me, I’m so fond of them and I will never forget the support they’ve given me.”
Anna Kearney, Community Neurology Service Operation Lead for Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust said:
“We are delighted to have secured long term funding for the service in Gloucestershire, supporting anyone who lives with a progressive neurological condition, survived a stroke or suffered a spinal cord injury.
“By having a specialist rehabilitation team in the county, rehab can happen closer to home. Patients can be supported by all members of the team without having to travel to and from multiple appointments.
“We know that people’s lives can dramatically change following a stroke, a spinal cord injury or a diagnosis of a progressive condition like Parkinson’s. Bringing rehab closer to home allows the patient and their family to be part of the rehab journey.
“Undertaking rehab at home means people can return to their activities, their social lives and their family roles earlier in their recovery. This boosts confidence and supports independence.
“The CNS brings together specialist knowledge and expertise, to deliver tailor made rehab towards each patient’s goals. Whether its helping someone like Julie readjust to life at home, move around her home and return to going out socially or providing someone with speech therapy so they can communicate with their family, our team is there every step of the way. Our psychologists provide group sessions to support psychological wellbeing after stroke, as well as one to one sessions, something that wasn’t previously available in the community.”
The team work closely with partners in the voluntary sector including the Parkinson’s Association, the MS Society and Re-Connect. Anna shared:
“We run joint sessions with many of our partners, PD Association and MS Society for education, training and empowerment. We also work closely with Re-Connect who support us to deliver our Psychological Wellbeing after Stroke group, providing an expert by experience to add much needed peer support.”
James Mitchell, Health and Social Care Commissioning Manager at NHS Gloucestershire, said supporting those with long-term conditions and injuries is a key focus for the CNS, and bringing different teams and clinicians together into one place can make a significant difference to the lives of people who are living with spinal cord injuries or recovering from a stroke. He explained:
“We know nobody wants to be away from home for longer than they have to so we are working hard to make sure we reduce the amount of unnecessary time people are spending in beds a long way from home – helping them to get back into their community and closer to their families as quickly as possible with the rehabilitation they need to return to their lives as best they can.
“By creating a single team to provide complex neurological rehabilitation within the community, we are actively working together, to drive improvements in how we deliver rehabilitation where people need it most. This therefore, gives people access to the therapists they need in a more timely and equitable way, whilst often reducing the need for more acute services.”