Sue Thomas

Independent healthcare consultant

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 been an expert advisor to numerous Department of Health work streams and NICE, as well as having a place on the Board of the Royal College of Physicians Former National Council for Chronic Conditions. She has given evidence to many national strategic reviews including All Party Parliamentary Groups, the Public Accounts Committee and the Royal College of Physicians.

Sue has led a range of service transformation projects in both primary and secondary care as well as providing commissioning support to NHS Trusts and CCGs and has developed a range of integrated care pathways including the non -oral treatment pathway for Parkinson’s.

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 volunteer with Somerset Healthwatch

Sue is also a member of the Comprehensive Care Committee for the 2023 World Parkinson’s Coalition being held in Barcelona 2023 and a prior conference faculty member of the International Movement Disorders Conferences. 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...