One: Diagnosis and assessment
People with long-term conditions need rapid access
to expert diagnosis and needs assessment so they
can begin treatment and start to learn about how
to manage their condition, how it may affect their
lives and how they can best be supported.
Put
simply,we need to know what is wrong before we
can access services and make good choices about
our care. Timely diagnosis was rated as a high
priority by all of those who responded to this
question in LMCA’s recent consultation on
the National Service Framework for long-term conditions.(4)
But
people need more than a medical diagnosis or label.They
need a full holistic assessment by a multi-disciplinary
team to ensure that all their needs have been
recognised and that services are in place to meet
these needs. Such assessment should go well beyond
medical care and should incorporate social and
housing needs, benefits and employment advice.
There should be provision for regular re-assessment
as needs change.
By the end of the next Parliament
Everyone with a long-term
condition should receive early, accurate
and expert diagnosis of their condition
and assessment of their needs.
|
|
Access
to diagnosis and treatment should be improved
by:
developing
the capacity of multi-disciplinary teams
| •
|
Resources
should be directed to help develop multidisciplinary
assessment and diagnostic teams,working in
community settings. |
| •
|
All
members of multi-disciplinary teams should
be offered specialist training in long-term
conditions. |
encouraging
more flexible access to diagnosis and assessment
| •
|
Options
for self-referral and direct access to specialists
should be explored. |
| •
|
Greater
use of telephone, e-mail and web-based consultation
should be promoted. |
taking
a more proactive approach to patients without
a diagnosis
Unexplained
symptoms without a diagnosis can be a real cause
of distress.
| •
|
Outreach
teams should be in place to reach people who
have symptoms but who have not received a
diagnosis. |
| •
|
Support
should be available for people whose symptoms
are difficult to diagnose and appropriate
care provided both before and after a diagnosis
is made. |
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4 ) LMCA & Neurological Alliance (March 2004)
Shaping the NSF for Long-term Conditions: The
Views of Service Users,Carers and Voluntary Organisations:
51.
