Patient care via video link at Keighley's Airedale Hospital (From Keighley News)

Patient care via video link at Keighley's Airedale Hospital

7:00pm Sunday 30th December 2012 in News By Miran Rahman

Technology at Airedale Hospital that allows patients to receive treatment without visiting the site is being used to help a woman with Parkinson’s Disease.

Ruth Pickles is taking part in a pilot project in which a special form of intensive treatment is delivered directly to her home.

She is Airedale’s speech and language therapy team’s first patient to have Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) via the hospital’s ‘telemedicine’ secure video link. The treatment is designed to help patients to speak louder, a common issue for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Ruth, 60, can hear and see speech and language therapist, Debra Borsley, on a computer screen.

Debra said: “Initially, I was sceptical as I couldn’t imagine how it would work so well remotely.

“But it’s been such an uplifting experience for both of us as we can see progress so quickly.

“Ruth is doing so well – better than I could ever have imagined. She has become more animated and is gaining confidence.”

A hospital spokesman said: “The LSVT programme has real benefits for patients, but is costly to deliver – especially if the patient is brought into hospital by ambulance or a therapist has to travel to their home.

“Delivering it remotely is much more convenient, saving both the patient and therapist time and money.

“At the end of the project, the speech and language therapy team will examine the evidence to see whether it can be rolled out to other patients.”