The GIRFT programme is seeking a national clinical lead to focus on the improvement of adult neurology services across England.  The scope of this role includes adults and older adults accessing, or needing to access, all levels of secondary and tertiary care neurology services.

Using a data driven, evidence-based approach, the role of clinical lead will focus on benchmarking, tackling unwarranted variation and supporting trusts with challenged neurology services. This role will build upon existing work, including the published GIRFT national specialty report and the subsequent work that has been done with trusts, ICBs and regions around the country.

There are an estimated 14.7 million cases of neurological disorder in the UK, with one in six people living with a neurological condition. Conditions impact on all levels of the nervous system – from the brain to nerve and muscle – and there are more 600 conditions. These can be broadly categorised into sudden-onset conditions (such as meningitis); intermittent and unpredictable conditions (such as epilepsy); progressive conditions (such as Parkinson’s disease), and stable conditions with changing need (such as spina bifida).

Neurology care is largely outpatient-based, with 1.3m patients seen in outpatients in 2018/19. In the context of high demand, the GIRFT report looks to address known variation in equity of access, aiming to ensure access to dedicated/specialist neurological services wherever a patient lives. 

The role will involve working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders including, amongst others, the Association of British Neurologists and other national professional bodies, specialty networks, the national Neurology Services Transformation Programme, NHSE policy and commissioning teams, ICBs, providers neurological charities and other GIRFT national clinical leads.

The appointment is offered via a memorandum of understanding agreement of 12 months with your host trust at 0.4 WTE, with the potential to extend at the annual review. GIRFT would consider a co-clinical lead or lead / advisor model arrangement.  For further information, please contact Claire.ogley@nhs.net