Why we joined the Alliance – Neurology Academy

29/03/2021

Sarah Gillett, Managing Director of Neurology Academy, tells us why they joined the Neurological Alliance, and what the Academy has been doing to support neurological specialists through the pandemic.

This partnership with the Neurological Alliance is an incredible opportunity to create a true ‘neurological community’ by bringing together the voices of healthcare professionals working in neurology and the voices of those living with a neurological condition.

Neurology Academy is dedicated to improving neurological care and services at a national level through practical education. We are also proud to support the sharing of best practice, showcase innovation and positive areas of work, encourage service optimisation and reduce unwanted variation of care across the country.

Our mission is to raise standards of care through transformational education and clinical leadership.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic approach

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Neurology Academy has responded quickly to the changing social and time constraints of healthcare professionals.

We sought to support our network of healthcare professionals with the tools and understanding they needed to provide the best possible neurology care within the circumstances.

We ran surveys to understand the changes to their teams and working environments, to better support their needs. We also provided education around self-care and mental health management from an early point, encouraging professionals to support themselves in order to better care for others.

We altered our educational offerings to live and on-demand webinars. These webinars not only allowed users to share experiences of remote management from before the pandemic and offered examples of flexible and adaptive innovations around the country, but also addressed challenges like advance care planning or carrying out essential monitoring in a Covid-safe environment.

We also began delivering our in-depth training courses through hybrid digital/personal learning, and are currently trialling a bespoke digital learning platform to deliver courses entirely online.

Continuing development

We are continuing to develop adaptive and responsive educational tools and courses, and to support work in refining pathways, raising awareness of challenges and promoting positive solutions through national work like our recent report on ‘NHS Reset and Reform’ for MS services. We are also developing new Spinal Muscular Atrophy pathways for paediatric and adult care which are currently in development.

By sharing knowledge, experience and expertise, and bringing together our shared values and priorities in partnership with The Neurological Alliance, we hope to make a real and impactful difference to the lived experiences of people with neurological conditions across the country, and to the experiences of those professionals dedicated to supporting them.

Interested in becoming a member of the Alliance? Learn more about The Neurological Alliance’s current members and how to join here.