Sue Thomas

Independent healthcare consultant
NHS England Clinical Reference Group Member Neurology, Neurosurgery & Spinal Surgery

With a clinical background in nursing, Sue has been involved in neurology since 1989 when she was involved in developing the first Parkinson’s nurse specialist post in Cornwall. In that year she was also awarded the Mali Jenkins Research Prize by Parkinson’s UK for developing a welfare service for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Since 1991 Sue has held leading national roles this included 18 years as national policy and practice adviser for neurology at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) where she coordinated RCN involvement in NICE guidelines for Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. In 2008 Sue set up a unique commissioning support organisation for Parkinson’s UK, the MS Society and Motor Neuron Disease Association - Neurological Commissioning Support (NCS) for which she obtained eight years funding from NHSE Innovation. She obtained NHS England niche provider status for commissioning support in 2014. She was additionally awarded further NHSE funding to support mentorship of other charities to develop similar commissioning support services: Diabetes UK, MacMillan Cancer Care and British Heart Foundation.

Sue has given evidence to many national strategic reviews including All Party Parliamentary Groups, the Public Accounts Committee and the Royal College of Physicians and led a range of service transformation projects in both primary and secondary care.

A Florence Nightingale Scholar and Winston Churchill fellow Sue is a founder faculty member of the Parkinson’s Academy, a member of the Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Team Move-HIT and a Board member of Healthwatch Somerset. She is also a Patient and Public Voise member of the NHS England Neurosurgery and spinal surgery Clinical Reference Group, a member of the NHSE Neurology Transformation CRG as well as being the first nurse member of the Association of British Neurologists Services Committee.

Sue provides health care consultancy in neurology and other long term conditions and is a regular mentor for clinicians undertaking the Masterclass programs.

Articles by Sue Thomas
Events

Sue Thomas is speaking at these forthcoming events...