Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Two therapists identified a desperate need in the community. This is the kind of success story that the NHS must sustain.
It's in a sprawling house in Twickenham, west London, housing a staff of 30 in former bedrooms. It doesn't look much like the future of healthcare in Britain, but at a time when the debate rages about NHS charges, privatisation and scarce resources, this organisation could provide part of the answer.
Integrated Neurological Services (INS) was set up back in 1999 by Liz Grove and Ellie Kinnear to fill the gaps left by the NHS. It is there for patients with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke and many other neurological complaints that affect movement, memory, balance and communication – indeed, everything essential to a normal life. The charity makes the difference between a life devastated by severe illness and a life that makes the most of the opportunities still available. It is all about expanding horizons and realising what is possible.
At first, the organisation operated from a church hall with just a few patients. Today 600 people a year benefit from the service. In the well-equipped gyms, 10 people are attending a balance class. Beatta, a Parkinson's patient, is losing her balance, but wants to show her fellow patients how yoga has helped her. John has agreed with Frank to swap skills – John will teach Frank guitar-playing, while Frank will help John on the computer. Other patients take part in memory classes, cooking skills and speech therapy.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...een-future-of-britain-healthcare-and-it-works
It's in a sprawling house in Twickenham, west London, housing a staff of 30 in former bedrooms. It doesn't look much like the future of healthcare in Britain, but at a time when the debate rages about NHS charges, privatisation and scarce resources, this organisation could provide part of the answer.
Integrated Neurological Services (INS) was set up back in 1999 by Liz Grove and Ellie Kinnear to fill the gaps left by the NHS. It is there for patients with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke and many other neurological complaints that affect movement, memory, balance and communication – indeed, everything essential to a normal life. The charity makes the difference between a life devastated by severe illness and a life that makes the most of the opportunities still available. It is all about expanding horizons and realising what is possible.
At first, the organisation operated from a church hall with just a few patients. Today 600 people a year benefit from the service. In the well-equipped gyms, 10 people are attending a balance class. Beatta, a Parkinson's patient, is losing her balance, but wants to show her fellow patients how yoga has helped her. John has agreed with Frank to swap skills – John will teach Frank guitar-playing, while Frank will help John on the computer. Other patients take part in memory classes, cooking skills and speech therapy.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...een-future-of-britain-healthcare-and-it-works