Press release: NHS Confederation welcomes promise of individual care plans for all NHS patients with long-term neurological conditions
10 Mar 2005
The NHS Confederation has welcomed a key pledge of the new National Service Framework for people living with long-term neurological conditions - individual care plans to put patients, not healthcare professionals, in the driving seat.
Policy Manager Jo Webber says: "We are delighted to be part of the '17 million reasons' campaign, a unique partnership of patient groups, healthcare professionals and health service managers launched in September 2004 to call for a better deal for the 17.5 million people living with long-term conditions in the UK.
"We are encouraged that two of the central demands of this campaign - personalised care plans and rapid access to diagnosis and treatment - are included in the NSF. We would like to see care plans offered to everyone living with a long-term condition, not just neurological conditions."
The NHS Confederation, which represents more than 90% of NHS organisations throughout the UK, is however concerned that no extra funding appears to have been provided for the health service to implement the NSF.
Jo Webber says: "While we welcome the overall direction of the NSF, it is difficult to see how the aspirations of the plan can be delivered as rapidly as we would like without some specific targeted money, since NHS trusts have already done their planning for the next financial year that starts on April 1 and so resources will already be fully committed."
ENDS
Notes for editors
1. The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS trusts, foundation trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; NHS boards and special boards in Scotland; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
2. Full details of the '17 million reasons' campaign are available at www.17millionreasons.org
Contact details
Contact Media Relations Manager Matt Akid on 020 7074 3306 or Media Officer Chris Atkinson on 020 7074 3304.
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