'Postcode lottery' for people with neurological conditions

People with neurological conditions face a postcode lottery'' to get the full range of services they need, with some younger adults ending up in care homes designed for older people, a charity warned.

The health and social care charity Sue Ryder said that without the right specialist care, people with conditions such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease (MND), Huntington's disease and sudden brain injury will suffer needlessly''.

It said its research found that only a third of local authorities know how many people with neurological conditions have been inappropriately placed in older people's care homes.

One of the calls the charity is now making as part of its Rewrite the Future campaign is for the Scottish Government to provide people with neurological conditions with dedicated care services delivered by specialists whether someone lives at home or in residential care.

Pamela Mackenzie, Sue Ryder's assistant director Scotland, said: Neurological conditions can strike anyone, at any time, turning their life and the lives of their loved ones upside down.

Those affected can endure some of the most painful and disabling symptoms of all health problems and this impacts on every aspect of their life, including their relationships, their children and their job. On top of this, they face an uphill struggle to get the specialist care they need whether in their own home or in residential care.

It is clear from our research that the needs of people with neurological conditions have largely been overlooked in recent years.

Now the true state of neurological health and social care services in Scotland has been revealed, we urge the Scottish Government to take immediate action to address these inequalities so people with neurological conditions get the chance of a better quality of life.''

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: The Scottish Government wants to see people receiving care in their own homes or as close to home as possible, as set out in our recently published clinical strategy.

With this in mind, our 2016/17 budget sets out plans to invest a further £250 million per year through health and social care partnerships, to protect and grow social care services, and invest £11.6m to implement Self-directed Support.

We also recognise the vital role specialist nurses play in patient care. This is why we committed £2.5 million of recurring funding for specialist nursing and care, including up to £700,000 to specifically target MND care.

The health boards involved are currently recruiting additional nurses, or increasing the hours of existing nurses in order to fulfil our pledge to double the number of MND nurses in Scotland. Some posts have already been filled and the remaining posts are expected to be filled by spring 2016.''

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