Spasticity Academy

Increased awareness and equitable access

Dedicated to raising the level of care around spasticity through targeted education

Spasticity Basics

Perfect for non-specialists looking to gain an understanding of non-specialist management of spasticity and referral pathways into specialist services, our virtual series covers everything you need to know to support patients experiencing spasticity.

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Spasticity Academy seeks to address inconsistencies in service delivery and raise the level of care patients can access through improved awareness and understanding of spasticity across conditions.

Multidisciplinary development

Developed collaboratively by healthcare professionals representing various disciplines, there is a real breadth to this Faculty's priorities, creating a detailed picture of care with a truly integrated approach.

Transferable model of learning

Drawing on 20 years of practically-applicable education and recent delivery of entirely virtual courses across several conditions, we are utilising the best of every aspect of our educational offering to develop this unique Academy.

Beyond books: practical, transformational education

Insight into complexity, case-based understanding, and clarity of management across a whole spectrum of care, the way our education contextualises spasticity within the whole patient experience and across the care pathway goes well beyond books.

Forthcoming Spasticity Academy MasterClasses and events...


About

Dedicated to raising the level of care around spasticity through targeted education

Spasticity is a reasonably common neurological symptom associated with a wide range of conditions, and affecting people to highly varying degrees. Because of this, much of spasticity management takes place within general neurology teams or amongst community rehabilitation teams. This means that the quality of service access is often dependent on the knowledge and experience of the individual healthcare professional.

Unfortunately, at present service provision is inconsistent and access to services highly variable. Referral to specialist services is also patchy, dependent on local care pathways and appropriate levels of knowledge as to what constitutes complex spasticity or which patients might benefit from specialist care.

By developing a strong education programme across two tiers of learning - basic and specialist - we can improve awareness and understanding in primary care, therapy and general neurology, and develop specialists in spasticity to manage complex presentations and provide expert care across the country.

For general neurology, therapy teams and primary care professionals, Spasticity Academy will:

  • ensure a standardised quality baseline understanding of what a specialist service looks like, why it is needed, how to refer on, and who to refer to.

  • ensure that staff providing spasticity services have improved awareness of spasticity issues and the knowledge they need to provide adequate care,

This in turn will ensure the level of care patients can access nationally improves, and the variation in services will be reduced.

For those seeking to specialise in spasticity or improve on a strong foundation of understanding, the Academy will provide in-depth education around complex management and treatment optimisation from experts in the field.

Supporters

Our work is made possible because of the wider support we receive, and we are incredibly grateful. Thanks to that support, we are transforming healthcare and changing the lives of people living with neurological conditions.

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People

Academy and faculty leaders

We are led and supported by experts with a variety of backgrounds across a range of disciplines. By bringing different passions to the Academy, they ensure we maintain a high quality of content and information across a diverse field of knowledge.

Dr Rachel Farrell
Consultant neurologist
Wendy Hendrie
MS specialist physiotherapist
Elizabeth Keenan
Nurse consultant in neuro-disability
Lynsay Duke
Professional lead neurological occupational therapist, MA (PED) BScOT MRCOT
Dr Stephen Ashford
Senior clinical lecturer and consultant physiotherapist
Dr Damon Hoad
Consultant in rehabilitation medicine