INNOVATION
Nicola Findlay
East Kilbride is leading the way in the fight against Huntington’s disease (HD) with the launch of a new framework.
One of the world’s first local care frameworks for HD has been launched in Lanarkshire and is being led from the town’s Hunter Health Centre.
The framework seeks to help families affected by the complex neurological condition receive the best possible care, information and support regardless of where they live.
Families and staff from both South and North Lanarkshire were at the launch.
Hunter Health Centre-based Dr Alison Gordon, consultant psychiatrist and lead HD clinician for NHS Lanarkshire, was a key member of the advisory groups that developed the Scottish, national and Lanarkshire frameworks.
“Huntington’s disease is a rare condition with symptoms that can vary widely from person to person,” she said.
“As a result, health and social care staff can often be perplexed by the disease, meaning care and support can suffer.
“The care framework is designed to help by guiding health and social care staff and empowering families. It is an extremely comprehensive and easy to use tool that has the ability to transform HD care.
“It has been a pleasure to be involved in its development and I would encourage anyone with an interest in the condition to make use of it to drive up standards of care and support.”
John Eden, chief executive of Scottish Huntington’s Association, said:“Scottish Huntington’s Association owes an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone involved in developing this framework, from family members to a full range of health and social care staff from across Lanarkshire.
“They have added to a momentum that is leading this project to success throughout Scotland and is capturing attention internationally.”
Marianne Hayward, head of health at the South Lanarkshire health & social