New draft guideline aims to transform rehabilitation for millions with long-term neurological conditions
Millions of people living with long-term neurological conditions across England face inconsistent access to vital rehabilitation services, according to NICE.
A new draft guideline published today aims to address this widespread variation by recommending a standardised approach to rehabilitation across five major neurological conditions, including brain and spinal cord injuries.
It includes people who have been discharged from health care and not receiving consistent or adequate rehabilitation support, despite ongoing needs.
In the UK, an estimated one in six people, or 16.5 million, live with a neurological condition, including acquired brain injury.
The draft guideline aims to address variation in care provided in hospital and community settings by recommending healthcare professionals take a multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders, including acquired brain injury, based on a holistic assessment of each person’s needs, and could involve physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapies, as well as psychological support and vocational counselling.
Without consistent rehabilitation support, people can experience unnecessary decline in their condition and quality of life. This useful and useable guideline will help ensure everyone receives the ongoing care they need to maintain independence and wellbeing.
Another key recommendation in the draft guideline is for there to be a single point of contact for people with chronic neurological disorders, including ensuring there are complex case managers within each of the 42 Integrated Care Boards in England. These specialists would co-ordinate care across health, social care, and third-sector organisations, ensuring people receive the rehabilitation services they need.
Other draft recommendations include:
Improving assessment and referral pathways, including re-referral for those with changing needs, so GPs and other healthcare professionals know how and when to send people back to specialists.
People with chronic neurological disorders, their families and carers know how they can access rehabilitation services in their area.
This draft guideline highlights how rehabilitation should be co-ordinated across health and social care, schools, employers and voluntary sector. For people with long-term neurological conditions, this means smoother transitions between services and less chance of falling through gaps in care – ultimately leading to better outcomes and improved quality of life.
Ian continued: “The key to achieving integrated care are the recommendations to assign a single point of contact for people with long-term neurological conditions through their journeys.”
People affected by neurological conditions face inconsistent and variable access to appropriate rehabilitation services. In our most recent patient experience survey, 57% of adults and 53% of children and young people in England told us they would like to have been offered outpatient rehabilitation but weren’t able to access it.
Georgina continued: “This new draft guideline recognises the variation people experience and provides an important opportunity to support access to consistent, quality services for everybody living with a neurological condition. We encourage the neuro community to engage with the draft, so the final guideline reflects the realities of living with a neurological condition.”
The draft guideline also recommends stronger collaboration between commissioners and service providers, and improved communication between health, social care, education, and employment organisations.
The draft guidance consultation opens today (Tuesday, 8 April) and closes on Tuesday, 20 May, with the final guideline expected to publish later this year.