Lothian Stroke MCN

1
Lothian Stroke MCN

• Clinical Neuropsychology service

2
Staffing

• Dr David Gillespie
• B Grade (full time from October 06)
• Dr Marion Murray
• A Grade (6 sessions)
• Maternity leave from June 07
• Assistant Psychologist
• To be recruited June 07

3
Current service activity

• Consultation
• Teaching, training and supervision
• Development of psychological screening protocols
• Cognition
• Mood
• Direct clinical work
• Tends to be
• Community (versus inpatient)
• Edinburgh (versus other parts of Lothian)
• lt65s (versus whole age range)

4
Main issues for the service

• We need to ensure
• Greater equity (in stroke care setting,
  geography, age)
• Further increases in the psychological
  knowledge/skills of all Lothian staff working
  with stroke patients
• Valid measurement of our service outcomes

5
Achieving greater equity

• Stroke care setting
• Create stronger links with stroke units
• Ensure that all inpatients have uniform (and
  valid) assessment of psychological functioning
• Geography
• Reinforce links with community colleagues across
  Lothian (to remind people we exist!)
• Age
• Challenge ageist assumptions (ongoing monitoring)

6
Increasing psychological knowledge/skills

• Ongoing teaching/training (e.g. CHSS study days,
  Napier University stroke module, in-service
  training)
• Regular meetings with CHSS nurses
• For discussion reflective practice groups on
  Stroke Units

7
Measuring service outcome

• Number/type/source of referrals
• Regular audit of screening protocols for mood and
  cognition
• Staff and carer satisfaction
• Evaluation of individual projects

8
Individual project work

• Carer support
• Facilitation and evaluation of carer support
  group(s)
• Enhancement of cognitive screening
• e.g. routine measurement of pre-stroke cognitive
  functioning