Welcome to Medway Neurological Network Website
Our AIM: To be the voice of all those affected by neurological conditions in Medway - a single point of access
Our Mission:
- To defend and improve the quality of health and social care services available to those with neurological conditions
- To raise awareness of neurological conditions in Medway and the support services that are available
- To campaign for improved disability services and facilities
- To promote and support services/ therapies/ research projects aimed at improving health & wellbeing, e.g. Medway Skylarks
Our Participants: Currently we have 13 neurological charities and support groups participating in our Network, and we are also fully engaged with 8 major service providers in Medway. All of our participants are invited to attend our quarterly Steering Group meetings. For a full list of our participants, and links to their websites, please see our Participants page.
Our Contacts: Email: info@medwayneuro.org.uk Facebook: Medway Neurological Network Twitter: @medwayneuro1
Please click on the images below to find out about our Activities, Medway Skylarks - click here for Skylark's videos, and our Awareness Events.
Activities
Find out about our Neuro-cafes, our campaigns, and our planned events e.g. Medway Neuro-Arts Festival, 19-21 July 2019.
Medway Skylarks
We help organise & promote this singing & movement (Sing to Beat Parkinson's) group, that has proven therapeutic benefits - see our videos.
Awareness Events
We help promote our Participant's own awareness events and also organise our own, such as the Medway Neuro Arts Festival 2019 & the Medway Neuro-Fair 2018.
Breaking News:
1. World Brain Day (July 22, 2020). This year the World Federation of Neurology is partnering with the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society to raise awareness for Parkinson’s. In Medway Parkinson’s UK are supporting the work of www.parkinsonsafrica.com
- a new video highlighting Parkinson’s in Africa has just been released, click HERE to see it.
2. Coronavirus: It is with regret that Medway Neurological Network has decided to suspend ALL of its face-to-face services including Medway Skylarks and the Neuro-cafes that it organises or promotes. This decison is on the basis of very clear advice from Neurological charities and from the Canterbury Cantata Trust.
The neurological charities have started issuing advice on this, particularly on concerns that a particular condition, or a particular treatment, may affect the associated risk to health. In line with general public health advice, people with a neurological condition should ensure that they wash their hands frequently and where possible avoid being within one metre of people who are coughing and sneezing.
Those with other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, should be especially careful to observe these recommendations.
If you believe you may have been exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19), in the first instance you should contact the NHS 111 coronavirus service. If you remain concerned you can speak to your GP or neurologist.
Click on the following links to see the advice issued by: the MS Society; Parkinson's UK; and MND Association. For other conditions please Google your condition followed by 'corona virus'.
3. Medway Skylarks now online: Please go to the Skylarks tab to see details and how to join our Zoom sessions that are held every Saturday morning from 10.30am to 11.30am. Sue Lovell is now taking this group and is using Canterbury Cantata Trust's evidence-based 'Sing to Beat Parkinson's' technique for enhancing wellbeing for those living with Parkinson's disease AND it has been shown to be beneficial for those living with many other neurological conditions.
You will also find information on how to participte in Phil Self's 'The Isolation Choir'.
4. Medway Adult Education: Drumming for the Mind course: Zoom classes taught by Nicky Underwood on Tuesdays from 11am to noon. To join the Summer term classes please contact: info@medwayneuro.org.uk. These classes are suitable for those living with all neurological conditions; highly recommended.
5. Medway Maritime Hospital: Guidance for Visitors. This includes guidance on use of face coverings at the hospital as from 15 June 2020 - to see tthe guidance please click HERE.
6. Medway NHS Foundation Trust maintains its rating of 'Requires Improvement' following CQC inspection. Medway NHS Foundation Trust maintains its rating following a CQC inspection. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has today published a report based on its inspection of Medway Maritime Hospital in December 2019 and January 2020.
The report rates the Trust as ‘requires improvement’ – the same as at the last inspection. Critical Care has been raised to Outstanding, and the rating for End of Life Care lifted to Good. However the report sets out where improvements are required in some services, particularly medical care, and the Trust will address these through a comprehensive action plan. The Trust has also taken steps to improve aspects of leadership in response to feedback following the inspection.
The Trust has welcomed recognition for the highly individualised care provided to support treatment in Critical Care. Inspectors also commented that the hospital’s End of Life service truly respects and values patients as individuals. The report also singles out the hospital’s Prehabilitation programme for praise. To see the full press release, please click HERE.
7. BUS PASS SUCCESS: Disabled and Senior Bus Passes can NOW be used before 9am in Medway. The passes will be able to be used on services provided by Arriva, Nu-Venture and ASD Coaches before 9am, click HERE for details.
Medway Neurological Network has been campaigning strongly for this change for a number of years and we need to thank Phil Bungay for working tirelessly to help achieve this outcome.
8. Suspended: Jasper's Community Cafe Neuro-cafe, Fridays 1pm to 3pm: Situated at Medway Adult Education, Rochester, in the Rochester Community Hub, Eastgate, ME1 1EW. This neuro-cafe is associated with an optional, free Medway Adult Education Tai Chi Class running from 10.30am to 12.30pm.
See our Neuro-cafes page for more details and/ or call 01634 338400.
9. Suspended: Singing for the Memory Medway: Join the new singing group that is designed for people with dementia and other cognitive impairments. Sessions held on second Friday of each month from 2pm to 4pm at The Parish Centre, St Peter's Church, Delce Road, Rochester ME1 2EH. To see the flyer, please click HERE, and to see the dates through 2019/20 please click HERE.
10. Neurological Alliance has published:
i). The findings of the Patient Experience Survey, see Here for the Key Findings and Here for the Policy Report. Thank you to all those who participated in this survey.
ii). Neuro-Numbers 19, giving the latest incidence figures for neurological conditions - click Here to see this report.
11. First Disease Modifying Drug for Early Progressive MS approved by NHS: see Jon Jeffery's (MS Society, Medway) interview broadcast on ITV Meridian on 13 May where he gives his reaction to the approval of Ocrelizumab. This drug is expected to be made available from September 2019.
Vivek Sharma: We are very sad to report that Vivek passed away on 17 April 2020, after testing positive for Covid-19.
Our condolences to Vivek's family, work colleagues and friends.
Vivek was an occupational therapist by training and worked at Medway Maritime Hospital in this role until March 2017. He then joined Medway Community Healthcare (MCH) and was based at the Walter-Brice Rehabilitation Centre where he led the Falls team.
Vivek was a participant of Medwaay Neurological Network and helped us whenever he could. He gave a talk on the MCH rehabilitation service, in partnership with Glady Nadar Arulmani, at our Neurological Fair on 24 March 2018.
Vivek was a very kind, helpful and efficient person who will be very sadly missed by all who knew him. Vivek's passing is a very real reminder of just how dangerous this coronavirus is.
We are all extremely thankful to those who put themselves in harms way to provide us with health and social care services. Medway Community Healthcare continues to provide a service for priority patients, see HERE for details.
Emma Chambers, Head of Adult Therapy, MCH writes: These are very sad times for us all and Vivek is a great loss. We are going to pull together a book of condolence and so I will get these added. If anyone else contacts you, it would be great if they could be passed along.
Thank you for thinking of us at this very difficult time and I hope you and your members are keeping safe and well.
Please send any message that you have to: info@medwayneuro.org.uk and we will pass them on for inclusion in the Book of Condolence.
Glady Nadar Arulmani, Clinical Leads for the Community Rehabilitation Service and for Neurological Physiotherapy, writes: Vivek was a great friend and colleague. Its a huge personal loss to me, to our team, NHS and society. He was kind, caring, hardworking and very skilled clinician who would go out of his way to help patients. The gap he has left will be impossible to fill.
