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HDA wins national Long Term Conditions Award

December 2005

Members of the HDA Regional Care Advisory Service team were presented with the Long Term Conditions Award at the Department of Health's Health and Social Care Awards held at the ExCeL Centre, Docklands, 13th December 2005.

Health Minister, Jane Kennedy, who is also responsible for the London region, congratulated all award winners for their commitment and dedication to providing high standards of patient focused, innovative care.

"With more than two million health and social care workers in England, and more than two and a half million people who rely on their dedication and expertise every day these award winners are true inspirations," Ms Kennedy said.

The Health and Social Care Awards are an opportunity for individuals and teams to have their innovation and excellent care recognised and rewarded. More than 1400 applications were received and subjected to a rigorous judging process by service improvement experts from the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and the Department of Health.

The Secretary of State for Health, England, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt MP presented each award in front of an audience of 800 frontline NHS and social care workers.

Each National winner receives £15,000 to share their ideas and innovation with others in the health and social care field.

Long Term Conditions Award -
Regional Care Advisory Team, Huntington's Disease Association

The Huntington's Disease Association (HDA) is a national charity that supports people affected directly or indirectly by Huntington's Disease (HD). It pursues the best possible care, provides training and advice to families and professionals, and promotes research towards better treatment and, ultimately, a cure. One of the initiatives the Regional Care Advisory Team has developed if multi-disciplinary clinics for Huntington's patients and their families across the UK. These clinics are an opportunity for families to have access to a range of specialist advice in one place at one time - this is time and cost effective for everyone, and creates a culture of "joined-up" thinking and care. They have been tremendously successful, often providing the specific support that families need to enable people to remain in their own homes and communities for longer.

Long Term Conditions Award is endorsed by the Long-term Medical Conditions Alliance.