Liverpool City Council recently supported the delivery of a Spinal Community Assessment Day (SCAD) for Liverpool residents currently on the spinal surgery waiting list.
The Spinal Community Assessment Day (SCAD) is a collaborative pilot between The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the Spinal Clinical Network, Everton in the Community and local community services aimed at improving patient-centred care for patients on the spinal surgery waiting list.
Held at Everton in the Community, over 100 patients were offered a range of resources tailored to the specific needs of the local population, providing same-day access to services including assessments, advice, health promotion, rehabilitation and community and voluntary sector support. It also included support for people whose condition is impacting their employment.
M Martin Wilby, Consultant Neurosurgeon, The Walton Centre, said:
“Unfortunately, some patients with spinal conditions are facing longer waits to access specialist services than we would like. However, despite being on a surgical waiting list, when a full consultation is carried out, surgery is frequently not considered to be the long-term solution for many spinal conditions.
“The aim of the SCAD is to keep patients well while they wait and encourage them to engage in self-management of their condition and general health and wellbeing where possible. It also provides the opportunity for collaboration between multiple professionals and organisations aiding a greater understanding of services available and points of access.”
The day focused on understanding each individual patient’s needs and providing tailored support, rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Critically, each patient’s appointment started with a ‘What matters to you’ conversation to ensure advice and treatment is supported by an in-depth understanding of each patient’s priorities and wishes to enable patients to meet their personal goals.
All patients received a patient passport which they and/or the professionals they talk to, can complete with a treatment plan, advice, contacts for further support or anything else which is important for the patient’s spinal recovery.
Depending on their own goals and condition, patients had access to spinal clinical assessments with advanced practitioners or spinal registrars and consultants, MSK physiotherapy and pain management: on-site treatment planning and advice from local teams, public health support and health checks, return to work support, and signposting to local community services.
