GIRFT report for neurology

This September, the 'first systematic national analysis of neurological services' ever conducted was presented by the Get it Right First Time (GIRFT) team for neurology, headed up by Dr Geraint Fuller.

The report is one of 18 national reports to boost NHS recovery and improvement post-pandemic, and provides extensive recommendations for improvement, outlined across four example patient journeys:

• a patient admitted as an emergency via the general medical take

• a patient referred to neurology outpatient care

• a patient with a chronic neurological disorder

• a patient requiring highly specialised care

Dr Fuller, who presented the reports' findings to the NNAG Neurology Outcomes Discussion at the start of September, shared a key theme from the research which he hopes will be a strong vehicle to take these recommendations forward:

Recommendations are made in the report for a wide variety of services and support across neurology, including liaison services with neurology for unplanned admissions (fig 1), and development of condition-specific clinical networks to improve coordination and consistency of care (fig 2).

There are also several recommendations which are condition-specific, including (but not limited to) access to disease-modifying therapies for people with multiple sclerosis, optimal management of Parkinson's and motor neurone disease, improved subspecialty training in stroke, and pharmacology for epilepsy.

Recommendations around staffing, research, commissioning and data collection (fig 3) are all covered as well.

All 18 reports can be found online via www.gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/girft-reports/