International Brain Injury Association 9th World Congress on Brain InjuryFeb 20th, 2012
The Huntercombe Group is delighted to be silver sponsors of the ; International Brain Injury Association 9th World Congress on Brain Injury, held on the 21st – 25th March 2012 at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.
The IBIA World Congress is the largest gathering of international professionals working in the field of brain injury. Delegates are comprised of physicians, psychologists and neuropsychologists, therapists, social workers, nurses, case managers, legal professionals, advocates and all others working in the field of brain injury.
The Ninth World Congress program will feature internationally recognized invited speakers, platform lectures, workshops, short oral presentations and poster sessions.
The aim of the Ninth World Congress is to provide an opportunity for establishing collegial relationships with international professionals focused on the care and/or service of persons with acquired brain injury and/or the science of brain injury research. State of the art research will be presented dealing with information spanning from basic science to clinical (coma to community) aspects of brain injury.
International priorities in the field of brain injury research will be discussed. Finally, the Congress seeks to provide didactic opportunities for clinicians interested in advancing their knowledge in brain injury science, medicine and care. The official language of the Congress is English, and sessions are open to all delegates registering to attend the event.
Huntercombe Group should play bigger role in psychiatrist training, Dr Claire Royston advises inquiryFeb 20th, 2012
Independent healthcare providers, including the Huntercombe Group, should play a bigger role in the training of NHS doctors, medical director Dr Claire Royston has told a parliamentary inquiry.
Independent providers such as the Huntercombe Group are now leaders in clinical specialisms including eating disorders, forensic mental health and learning disability care.
To reflect this, medical deaneries should approve more consultant psychiatrists employed by the Huntercombe Group and other providers for the post-graduate training of NHS doctors, Dr Royston recommended in written evidence to a House of Commons health select committee inquiry into government’s plans for healthcare education, training, and workforce planning.
In her submission, Dr Royston emphasised that NHS medical deaneries have historically not offered post-graduate psychiatrists with clinical training placements with independent providers.
This is despite the fact that independent providers already provide NHS-accredited placements for trainee clinical psychologists and student nurses and, for example, almost all Huntercombe Group patients are NHS patients.
“This status quo must also change in order to ensure a provision of a flow of suitably-trained specialist psychiatrists for NHS patients,” wrote Dr Royston in her evidence to the inquiry whose remit includes ensuring that the future NHS workforce is sufficiently skilled through measures such as post-registration training.
“NHS deaneries must be encouraged to recognise that independent providers, such as the Huntercombe Group, not only have suitably-accredited consultant psychiatrists to supervise placements, but that such doctors lead clinical innovation in particular specialist fields.
“NHS medical deaneries should be levered to create more productive partnerships with independent providers.”
Under government plans for April 2013, deaneries will have seats on local education and training boards which will take over responsibility for medical education and training.
In her submission, Dr Royston emphasised that:
(i) The Huntercombe Group has more than 40 experienced, suitably-qualified and accredited consultant psychiatrists to manage clinical placements. It also employs over 3,000 clinicians, runs 60 clinical units and hospitals in England, and Scotland, and has a total of 1,658 beds. It works with over 80 NHS primary care trusts, 50 local authorities and specialised commissioning groups in England, and health boards in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
(ii) The NHS as a whole needs to ensure that patients benefit from a steady flow of suitably-experienced consultant psychiatrists specialising in areas such as: eating disorders and secure care for detained adults and young people. The independent sector provides a significant proportion of such services to the NHS, and so has a wealth of expertise.
(iii) To ensure an on-going productive partnership between the NHS and independent services, NHS psychiatrists need to gain experience of specialist independent-sector services.
Dr Royston's evidence also detailed how independent providers such as the Huntercombe Group are well-placed to advise on specialist mandatory training for healthcare support workers/healthcare assistants in specialised healthcare environments.
* See: Health Committee inquiry into Education, training and workforce planning
“Inspiring” Nottingham brain-injury hospital gets Lord Mayor supportJan 30th, 2012
A Huntercombe Group hospital for brain-injury patients has the Mayor of Nottingham as one of its many admirers.
Lord Mayor Councillor Mick Wildgust is an enthusiastic supporter of Aspley Neurodisability Unit ever since he attended a staff awards ceremony there last year.
He was so impressed that he invited one patient, Andrew Northern, aged 50, and his family to accompany him for the opening of Nottingham’s Goose Fair in October.
More recently he paid a visit to the Nottingham unit when it heldits Chrismas party.
The 29-bed unit,part of Nottingham Neurodisability Centre, provides specialisttreatment and rehabilitation to people who have suffered brain injury caused by a variety of trauma, including traffic accidents.
“The mayor is undoubtedly one of our biggest fans in Nottingham,” said Diane Bruce, manger of the centre.
“He told me how inspiring he finds our service, and has always said he would like to be involved and to visit. He specifically asked to be invited to our Christmas events.”
Pre-registration occupational therapist Michael Jones organised the unit’s well-attended Christmas party which included a panto performance of Jack and The Beanstalk.
Stimulating activities and patient engagement are vital for recovery from brain injury, explained Diane.
“Our Christmas party is just one of our many community events that foster such recovery.”
Andrew’s father, Robert Northern, praised the unit’s staff for the care they have provided his son over the last three years.
“The staff are absolutely marvelous,” he said. “And we are always made very welcome when we visit.”
Huntercombe therapist advises on ethical and patient-centred feeding interventions for patients with dysphagiaJan 12th, 2012
A Huntercombe speech therapist has called for brain-injury rehabilitation services around the country to examine how they can most ethically provide food and drink to patients with dysphagia.
Gerry Roxburgh, senior speech and language therapist at Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Bristol, said widely-held assumptions about feeding dysphagia patients should be challenged to allow for a more holistic and humane approach.
Gerry was one of the key speakers at the “Advances in Neuroscience in a Challenging Commissioning Environment” conference in Derby on Tuesday, November 22.
Hosted by the Huntercombe Group, the event was a forum for brain-injury professionals and commissioners to discuss latest developments in neuroscience, rehabilitation care and medical technology, and how proposed changes in commissioning may facilitate their benefit for patients.
During her presentation, Gerry argued that a more patient-centred feeding approach - as adopted at FrenchayBrain Injury Rehabilitation Centre - improvespatient emotional well being, prevents patients from being unnecessarily fitted with PEG feeding tubes, and improves patient participation in daily rehabilitation routines.
From 25% - 35% of patients with brain injury suffer from dysphagia, or a swallowing disorder, as do 30 - 40% of stroke patients.
She recommended thatdysphagiamanagement be understood “contextually”, and with more emphasis on recognising that a patient’s ability to eat and drink as they would wish is “fundamental to quality of life”.
“This means real food at appropriate times and in an appropriate manner,” explained Gerry to delegates.
“Food must also be given and presented in a way that it fits in with what the patient ate before their brain-injury,” she said.
Gerry -praised by delegates for her “refreshing” approach to the topic -stressed that while safety must always be considered, a patient’s desire to eat and drink as normally as possible must rest at the heart of all decision-making.
“It’s important that care pathways think about the human side,” said Gerry whose
presentation was entitled “Hard to Swallow -Efficiency and Ethics in the Assessment and Treatment of Swallowing Disorders Following Acquired Brain Injury.”
Jane Howden, head of nursing at Huntercombe’s Nottingham Neurodisability Service, led the second conference workshop on how best to provide quality neuro-rehabilitation services.
Earlier in the day, Dr Rajiv Singh, a consultant in rehabilitation medicine, discussed recent evidence on clinical effectiveness in brain injury treatment; Dr Peter Hutchinson, of Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridgeshire, examined acute management and rehabilitation of people with a brain injury; and Dr Stefan Jankowski, consultant neuro anaesthetist at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield discussed critical care after brain-injury.
Closing the conference,David Ackroyd, centre manager for Huntercombe’s Nottingham Neurodisability Service, said: “I would like to think that this conference will help us continue to find better ways for commissioning care for patients with a brain injury.”
* See media coverage for the“Advances in Neuroscience in a Challenging Commissioning Environment”.
The annual Rowan House awards ceremony has become such a popular event that this year a bigger venue had to be found to host the glitzy evening.
The ceremony celebrates Rowan patients’ many arts and work achievements over the previous 12 months.
Last year the event was held at Rowan’s games room. But with so many patients due to attend this year’s popular event on November 22, it was decided to move it to the sports hall.
“The event has become such an attraction for patients and staff that we needed the size that the sports hall offers,” said occupational therapist Mark McGuigan who compared the evening.
“The hall, with patients’ art work on display, was the ideal venue to create a celebratory atmosphere for the ceremony which is a real highlight of the year.”
Drinks and canapés were offered to the 25 patients – many of whom had dressed up smartly for the occasion - as they arrived, and a power-point presentation showcased their art work.
The ceremony was attended by nursing staff, support workers, occupational therapy staff, heads of departments and all Rowan House consultants.
Clinical Director DrMateenDurrani,Hospital Manager AlainSockalingumand Lead Occupational Therapist Vicky Bowden presented patients with their awards, which included two for the Koestler Awards, a highly-regarded national project inspiring prisoners, patients in secure settings and immigration detainees to participate in the arts.
Certificates were also presented for number of hours of completed voluntary work, improved health and wellbeing, attendance of a therapy programme, stopping smoking, improved literacy and numeracy, and cookery portfolio.
The winner of the ‘design a germ’ competition – run as part of a fun but informative infection control week - was also announced.
“Patients showed great support and admiration for each other, and the event was supported by staff from all departments,” said Vicky.
After collecting their award each patient had a photo taken of them with their certificate.
“Just like last year, it felt like a real paparazzi moment!” said Vicky.
Huntercombe to host leading brain-injury clinicians and researchersNov 17th, 2011
The Huntercombe Group will host some of the UK’s leading brain-injury clinicians and researchers at a conference in Derby next week.
The “Advances in Neuroscience in a Challenging Commissioning Environment” conference will be a forum for brain-injury professionals and commissioners to discuss latest developments in neuroscience and medical technology, and how proposed changes in commissioning may facilitate their benefit for patients.
Huntercombe is a leading UK provider of brain-injury treatment and rehabilitation services, with 20 centres in England and Scotland.for people with a brain injury or neurodisability.
Gerry Roxborough, a speech and language therapist at Huntercombe’sFrenchayBrain Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Bristoland Jane Howden of Huntercombe’sNottingham Neurodisability Service will both lead workshops during the CPD-accredited conference on Tuesday, November 22, atDerby Conference Centre
The conference speakers will includeDr Rajiv Singh, honorary senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield, who will discuss recent evidence on clinical effectiveness in brain injury treatment;Dr Peter Hutchinson, of Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridgeshire, who will discuss acute management and rehabilitation of people with a brain injury; andProfessor Steve Williams of Kings College London who will discuss developments inneuroimaging.
David Ackroyd, centre manager for Huntercombe’s Nottingham Neurodisability Service, will make a welcoming speech at the conference, which is being sponsored by Irwin Mitchell Solicitors.
David said: “We expect this conference to be a highly-stimulating event, with some fantastic speakers. Brain-injury treatment, care and rehabilitation is still a relatively new medical and clinical discipline, and Huntercombe is always keen to explore new possibilities and opportunities for our patients.”
More details on the conference here: http://www.huntercombe.com/company-info/events-and-exhibitions/13/advances-in-neuroscience-in-a-challenging-commissioning-landscape