Trust awarded grant from Parkinson’s Excellence Network
On World Parkinson’s Day (11 April) Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is pleased to announce that the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team have been awarded a Parkinson’s Excellence Network large grant to support their ‘Start right; stay well’ project.
There are approximately 145,000 people in the UK who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s – 1,180 receive care in the community from specialist nurses as well as support from other professionals across Buckinghamshire. It is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world which is degenerative and currently there is no cure.
Currently people with Parkinson’s who are admitted to hospital and who are unwell, drowsy or have swallowing difficulties, are at risk of missing
the first or several doses of vital medication, hydration, and nutrition. This can result in longer hospital stays, long term swallowing difficulties and impact how quickly those patients are able to get back on their feet. The ‘Start right; stay well’ screening tool will ensure that people with Parkinson’s have safe and timely nutrition, hydration, and medication when acutely unwell when admitted.
Andrew McLaren, Chief Medical Officer for the Trust said: “As a Trust we are always striving to ensure we deliver outstanding and personalised care. We are looking forward to working in partnership with the Parkinson’s Excellence Network to support the development of this new screening tool which will improve the experience for people in Buckinghamshire living with the condition if they are admitted into our care.”
Rowan Wathes, Associate Director of the Parkinson’s Excellence Network said: “It is fantastic to hear of the difference that this Parkinson’s Excellence Network grant will make to people with Parkinson’s living in Buckinghamshire.
“By working together with organisations like Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, we can improve services and support for the Parkinson’s community. This year we have invested a record £1 million into ten new nurse posts and five service improvement grants, including this one, in the hope that it will bridge the gap in care for those living with the condition.”