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Group multidisciplinary consultation clinic - University Hospital Lewisham/King's College Hospital

Challenge

King's College Hospital decided to introduce a group consultation clinic focused on specific stages of Parkinson's in order to avoid possible delays in the patient pathway.

This delivers a model of care that fits in with the NICE Guideline, National Service Framework for Long Term Neurological Conditions and also the 18-week pathway. Such a clinic was piloted in 2005 at University Hospital, Lewisham.

Action

  • A group consultation clinic is held on a monthly basis.

  • Each clinic session has 16 to 20 patients invited at a similar stage in their condition - together with their partners.

  • Clinics are dedicated to early stage, moderate stage, and advanced Parkinson's.

The clinic is geared towards patient-centred care and provides the following:

  • quick referral and rapid access to consultant-led specialist care and assessment

  • expert review of diagnosis review by specialist care, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy

  • access to psychological and psychiatric support

  • delivery and development of an expert patient programme

Achievements

  • Choice for patients and their carers: they can attend their usual 3 to 6 month follow-up consultation, attend a group consultation clinic at their own convenience, or both.

Each clinic session satisfies the Parkinson's NICE guideline by including:

  • Consultant/specialist/Parkinson's nurse review

  • assessment and review by the multi-disciplinary team

  • medication advice

  • regular follow up

  • development of expert patient groups

The Lewisham clinic has been cited by the Department of Health as a 'Whole Systems Example' (Medicines Management, 2005).