Health Board’s Parkinson’s care streets ahead of UK average
Democrat reporter
Parkinson’s patients in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) have rated their care as significantly better than the UK average, according to a national audit.
Parkinson’s affects one in 375 adults in Scotland. UK-wide Parkinson’s Audit of patients showed far higher satisfaction rates in NHSGGC, compared to the rest of the country, in almost every element of their care.
Patients were asked to rate the quality of care from their doctor. In the UK as a whole, 58% of patients rated their doctor as excellent, while in NHSGGC this figure rose dramatically to 83%. Similarly, 91% of GGC patients thought the care from the dedicated nurse was excellent, compared to 63% in the UK.
Patients also felt informed about their condition, with 80% feeling they had enough information compared with 60% across the UK. Around 84% of patients also said they were given enough information about the side effects of their medication, compared to 60% in the UK as a whole.
Importantly, 76% felt involved in decision making about their care in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, compared to 49% elsewhere.
The 2019 UK Parkinson’s Audit measures the quality of care provided to people living with Parkinson’s. It also seeks direct patient and carer feedback – giving the service users an opportunity to directly and anonymously feedback their views on the service they attend.
The aim of the audit is to benchmark services across the whole of the UK, and also to provide an important baseline against which progress can be measured by informing national, regional and local service improvement priorities to achieve better services for people living with the condition.
Parkinson’s specialist Dr Anne Louise Cunnington from Glasgow Royal Infirmary explained: “As clinical audit lead for the UK wide Parkinson’s Audit, working in NHSGGC, I am very proud to review the outstanding results for us in comparison with the whole UK. The results are extremely positive.
“One of the things I am most proud of as a medic is that patients felt informed and involved in their care. This is so important, especially for chronic disease management for a condition like Parkinson’s.
“Our patients were also more likely to have been asked about common problems in Parkinson’s such as depression, communication difficulties, sleep issues, bone health and difficulties in performing activities of daily living.
“We are also significantly better at referring people with Parkinson’s to a nurse specialist, Occupational therapy, Physiotherapy and speech and Language therapy, signposting to the Parkinson’s UK, giving information about financial benefits and providing information regarding power of attorney.
Katherine Crawford, Director of Services, Parkinson’s UK said: “The results from NHSGGC are truly impressive, and are testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in delivering Parkinson’s services.
“The teams have clearly listened to people with Parkinson’s and have been working hard to improve services in all areas. The audit results speak for themselves. Their work is hugely appreciated by people affected by Parkinson’s.”
If you want to find out more or get involved please contact us at www.parkinsons.org.uk/audit”