Service overview - Neurology
Our neurology teams treat patients who have disorders of their nervous system. The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates all our body activities. There are two main parts of the system: The central nervous system and the brain and spinal cord.
AttendAnywhere video consultations for patients
We've introduced video appointments to help us carry on seeing patients during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Many of our services are now using this resource. Visit our AttendAnywhere page to find out more and to watch a short video, which will help you understand how these video appointments will work.
Basildon Hospital - Neurology services
Location
Outpatient Department. Basildon University Hospital,
Nethermayne, Basildon,Essex, SS16 5NL
Opening times:
Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
Telephone: 01268 524900 ext 3408
Motor Neurone Disease & Multiple Sclerosis clinic: 01268 524900 ext 3408
Headache Clinic: 01268 524900 ext 3466
Who the service is for
People with neurological conditions.
About the service
The Neurology Department offers a comprehensive range of specialist services and clinics for a range of neurological conditions including:
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson's Disease
Motor Neurone Disease
Migraine and headache of all types, plus facial pain
Other conditions including dizziness, sensory disturbances like tingling or numbness, faints, falls and memory disturbances
Tests carried out include:
Electromyography (electrical testing of muscles)
Nerve conduction studies (electrical testing of peripheral nerves)
Outpatient clinics are held at Basildon University Hospital and at Orsett Hospital, with speciality clinics available for Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease and headache.
Where tests are not available locally, patients will be referred to the Royal London Hospital or Queens Hospital, Romford.
Neurology consultants also provide support for patients with neurological conditions who are admitted to hospital.
Support for patients
Patients with Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson's Disease will be supported by a specialist nurse while in hospital, as well as in the community.
Research links
The Neurology Department actively supports research and has academic links with Queen Mary University, London and The Royal London Hospital.
Broomfield Hospital - Neurology services
Neurology
Neurology is the study of the structure, functioning and diseases of the nervous system.
Services
EEG/EMG - Sees around 2000 patients a year and conducts tests to record electrical activity in the brain in addition to testing the peripheral nerves and muscles. Various clinics are held throughout the week.
Multiple sclerosis service
Parkinson's disease
Epilepsy service
Clinics
Location
MEHT Neurology Department, Broomfield Hospital, Court Road, Chelmsford, CM1 7ET.
Please note that clinics are operated on other sites: please check the appointment letter carefully.
EEG/EMG Department, South Wing, Broomfield Hospital, Court Road, Chelmsford, CM1 7ET
Referrals
Referrals can be made directly to this department - please see contact details below.
Staff
The team consists of three consultants, supported by three clinical nurse specialists. There are also four clinical nurse specialists - two for multiple sclerosis, one for Parkinson’s disease and one for epilepsy
Two consultant neurosurgeons also visit the site.
Southend Hospital - Neurology services
Our Neurology Department provides general neurology outpatient clinics as well as a range of specialist clinics for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. We offer a range of diagnostic procedures including MRI and CT scans, EMG and EEG.
The Neurology Deparment at Southend Hospital offers an efficient general neurology outpatient service in addition to specialist clinics in MS and a rapid access epilepsy (first fit) clinic. We remain within the 18-week target.
A responsive inpatient referral service is also provided to see new referrals and review patients with on-going neurological problems. There are clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy who run their own clinics and also provide advice for inpatients.
In addition the neurology department is supported by an onsite neurophysiology service. We have access to all essential neurological investigations including MRI, CT, DATScan, EEG, EMG and lumbar puncture. There are close links to the Royal London Hospital neurology department, which provides tertiary care services.
Consultant Staff
There are currently six neurologists working in the department, all working partially at Southend and the Royal London Hospital or part-time. As well as running general neurology clinics, each has specialist interests (in brackets):
Consultants run specialist clinics at the Royal London Hospital and an epilepsy rapid access clinic at Southend. There is also a specialist disease modifying MS clinic twice monthly and a general neurology clinic one day a week.
Clinical Nurse Specialists
The CNS team support the consultants, run their own clinics and provide inpatient and outpatient support. They all provide a telephone advice service to patients, their carers and all MDT colleagues. Frequent interaction with the consultants provides a responsive service to the patients, with changes in management quickly decided upon and actioned.
Multiple sclerosis nurses
The multiple sclerosis nurses work closely with the consultants in the multiple sclerosis disease modifying clinic, maintaining a database of all patients, prescribing all disease modifying therapies, and extensive monitoring of all treatment within established protocols.
They have well established joint working pathways with our Cardiac Medical Day Stay department for the on-going provision of high risk therapies. They run nurse-led clinics several times each week, and for those patients too disabled, or too unwell to attend, they are seen at home.
They also run an extremely responsive 'urgent attender service' for those patients in acute exacerbation of their MS, by seeing them in the department on the same day, as ward attenders outside of clinic times, hence preventing admission to hospital.
Parkinson's disease nurses
The Parkinson's disease nurses provide support to the patients similarly and run regular clinics and liaise regularly with their patient's Neurologist.
Epilepsy nurse
The epilepsy nurse, supported by an associate epilepsy practitioner, again provides comprehensive support for patients with epilepsy both as inpatients and outpatients, as well as supporting the consultant in the first fit clinic as well as running their own clinics.
Contact us
Secretaries on 01702 385137 / 01702 385504 / 01702 385269
Neurology clinic reception/appointments
Bookings: Please call 01702 385305
Neurophysiology/EMG/EEG
Contact: Secretary on 01702 385264
Neurology Service (SUHFT)
shn-tr.neurology.secretaries@nhs.net - email address for the neurology secretaries at Southend Hospital