CHILDREN and young people in south Warwickshire with epilepsy are to receive specialist support.
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) has been selected out of 35 other NHS organisations for charity funding to employ its first Roald Dahl Specialist Nurse.
The trust estimates there are more than 600 families who have children and young people living with epilepsy in the region who, without specialist support, would struggle to get the health and social care support they need.
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and SWFT are partnering for five years to share the cost of the specialist nurse appointment, with recruitment to the new post starting this summer.
The new nurse will work within the trust’s epilepsy team, working across its four hospitals – in Warwick, Stratford, Leamington and Shipston.
They will work closely with GP surgeries, social care and schools across the region. The nurse will continue to stitch health services around the family, delivering crucial personalised care to those families most in need.
SWFT deputy director of nursing Ellie Ward said: “SWFT is delighted to be able to support this role and enhance the service we deliver to our young population living with epilepsy.
“This valuable position will support families, providing navigation and person centred support in line with our organisational values and our aspiration to address inequalities through their providing expert liaison between services.”
The management of children and young people with epilepsy is complex and requires strong partnerships to deliver the best quality of care to those with the chronic health condition.
SWFT say the appointment of an expert specialist nurse would bridge, complement, and improve its current consultant-led epilepsy service.
Michelle Kukielka, head of programmes at the charity and herself a former nurse, said: “The opportunity to work with the trust is extremely exciting but we must continue to drive awareness and fund-raising – it’s integral.
“Roald Dahl Specialist Nurses have a huge impact on patients’ lives so being able to help many more seriously-ill children locally is amazing.”
“There is so much more to do and we need the public’s help to do it. If people would like to donate to the charity, they can be reassured that all donations go directly to funding more specialist nurses – so every penny literally counts for seriously ill children and young people.”
All Roald Dahl Specialist Nurses across the country are part funded by donations from the public so fund-raising is core to more nurse numbers.
Visit www.roalddahlcharity.org/donate/ to donate.
