News - INPA calls for more transparency in neurorehab
INPA calls for more transparency in neurorehab
A NEW organisation has been created in an effort to instil a clearer code of conduct when it comes to neurorehabilitation in relation to discharge and goal planning and outcome measurement.
Under the current healthcare regime there is little to distinguish between specialist physical and behavioural neurorehabilitation centres and standard care facilities with some rehab capabilities.
The newly formed Independent Neurorehabilitation Provider Alliance (INPA) is a members’ body which aims to set out a clear ethos which should be met by reputable providers of brain injury care and rehabilitation.
The group will also act as a lobbying force to encourage the government to improve the way the healthcare system handles the journey of a brain injury client from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation.
To date, 20 neurorehabiltation centres and organisations have signed up to INPA after meeting the stringent criteria of the organisation.
These include BIRT, various UK locations, QEF (Banstead), Stocksbridge (Sheffield), Chase Park (Newcastle upon Tyne), Glenside (Salisbury), Hawthorns (Peterlee), Raphael Centre (Tonbridge), Huntercombe (various UK locations), TRU (Haydock) and Hunters Moor (Birmingham).
The other INPA members are Wellington (London), Children’s Trust (Tadworth), Oakleaf (Northants and Nottinghamshire), St George’s (Warrington and Chester), Badby Park (Daventry), Elm Park (Colchester), Royal Hospital for Neurodisability (Putney), Royal Bucks Hospital (Aylesbury), Kelmsley (Northampton) and Highbank (Bury).
Mike Barnes, professor of neurorehabilitation at Hunters Moor and chair of the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF), played a lead role in drawing up the plans for INPA.
He said: “We want to create an organisation which gives PCTs, case managers and other brain injury specialists the reassurance that they are working with a reputable facility which places the welfare and treatment of its clients at the top of its agenda.
“We also recognise the need for changes to the healthcare system in the way it handles those in need of neurorehabilitation and we hope to lobby the government towards taking a number of measures.” The criteria for becoming an INPA member includes having a clear focus on discharge planning, goal-setting and measuring the outcome of treatment and client progress.
Members must also have a multidisciplinary team at its disposal which has at least four different professionals within it.
INPA will accept organisations that are for long term care as long as they have a separate part of their facility designed purely for neurorehabilitation A new website for the organisation will be launched shortly and we will provide more details in our next newsletter.
