William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre recognised for Primary Care and Diagnostics at Laing Buisson Awards
QUARRIER, one of Scotland’s leading social care charities, is flying the flag for healthcare in Scotland and people with epilepsy after landing the Laing Buisson Award for Primary Care and Diagnostics.
The prestigious UK award, now in its 12th year, recognises industry excellence and innovative services in the public, private and Third Sectors and was held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London earlier this month.
The William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre came top in Primary Care and Diagnostics which acknowledges excellence in the delivery of healthcare services.
Opened in 2013, the Scottish Epilepsy Centre is one of the leading epilepsy facilities in the world, offering state-of-the-art care to people affected by epilepsy and is the only centre of its kind in Scotland. The purpose-built service offers multidisciplinary in-patient assessment to people with complex diagnostic and treatment needs and accepts referrals from across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.
Gerard Gahagan, head of Epilepsy Services at Quarriers, said: “Epilepsy can be extremely difficult to diagnose, with an estimated 12,000 people in Scotland living with a misdiagnosis. Being able to provide accurate diagnosis, and particularly distinguishing between epileptic and non-epileptic seizure activity, is paramount in delivering the best patient outcomes.
“Our vision is a world where no life is shattered by epilepsy. Our mission is to transform the lives of people with epilepsy through clinical diagnosis and treatment. The centre’s culture of continuous improvement ensures patients receive the highest standard of support.”
The centre was commended by the judges for its person-centred approach where each patient is provided with the support to help them manage their condition: from enabling them to reduce or withdraw from medication in a safe environment, to offering continuing support through outpatient and telemedicine clinics, as well as psychological support.
The team at the Scottish Epilepsy Centre worked directly with patients to develop the diagnostic processes. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of world-leading diagnostic systems and technology, notably wireless EEG which is available only at Quarriers. The purpose-designed centre includes cameras, audio and alarm systems to support patients around the clock.
Gerard Gahagan explained: “Through the use of specialist observation and clinical system infrastructure, staff are able to attend 95 per cent of seizures within 30 seconds, a significant improvement on the national average of 21 per cent.
Thanks to improved diagnostics, the average length of inpatient stay has reduced from 29 to 21 days since 2013.
“The William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre exemplifies the benefits of integrating health and social care and works seamlessly with all 14 NHS boards in Scotland, as well as accepting referrals from northern England and Northern Ireland, ensuring that patients across Scotland and the UK have equal access to specialist treatment of the highest quality.”
This latest award builds on past success for the Centre which included an unannounced inspection from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) in May of this year which saw the service receive ‘very good’ ratings in all five categories of the inspection.
Speaking about the award, Alice Harper, chief executive of Quarriers, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised by such a prestigious healthcare award. It really is a testament to the excellent state-of-the-art William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre and our caring and dedicated staff who work tirelessly to improve the lives of people with epilepsy.”
To find out more about how to access support from the William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre, please speak to your consultant or contact us directly at scottishepilepsycentre@quarriers.org.uk or 0141 445 7750.
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