Norwich team shortlisted in Hospital Doctor awards

Doctors, therapists and nurses at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have been shortlisted for the prestigious Parkinson's Team of the Year in the Hospital Doctor 2006 awards.

The multidisciplinary Parkinson's Disease team has been shortlisted for their work in developing new and more streamlined hospital and community care for patients with the neurological condition.

The Neurology and Medicine for the Elderly teams worked closely with patients and carers to ask for their views and  worked with colleagues in primary care to develop new services that better met the needs of Parkinson's Disease patients and carers.

Changes included more clinics for patients needing multi-disciplinary team (MDT) care, better follow up, and improved access to information for patients. The results have been positive with younger patients now having better access to a specialist diagnostic and management clinic and patients have been very positive about the changes.

MDT staff have also experienced improved inter-professional learning, improved communication between primary and secondary care professionals and increased awareness of plans and enthusiasm for service improvement.

Consultant neurologist Dr Paul Worth said: “The team is really delighted to be recognised for all its hard work.  Even if we only make third place, this is an endorsement of everyone's efforts and commitment to improve our services for chronic disease, and will spur us on to achieve better things.  I'm particularly grateful for the hard work of all the therapists both in the hospital and the community who make such a difference to the lives of our patients.”

The Norwich team is one of three from around the country shortlisted in the Hospital Doctor 2006 awards final which is being held in London on Thursday 23rd November 2006 at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel.