The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has launched a series of regional neurology meetings as it begins work on assessing neurological services in England.

The first of 24 meetings bringing together clinicians from hospitals associated with the country’s major neuroscience centres launched in Sussex on 17 January 2019. The aim is to benchmark each neuroscience region and compare its data with other similarly defined regions.

GIRFT is a clinically-led programme designed to improve patient care by providing clinicians and trusts with data about their performance and patient outcomes, comparing to others in that speciality. It is currently working in 37 surgical and medical specialties.

As neurological services are not provided in all NHS hospitals, the workstream is beginning with regional meetings bringing together neurologists from hospitals most closely associated with one of the 24 neuroscience centres.

In line with GIRFT’s methodology, these will be followed with individual ‘deep dive’ meetings at each trust, where data can be examined and compared in more detail. The focus will be on areas such as admissions, outpatient services, outcomes for patients with disorders including MS, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, and the availability of neurophysiology services.

GIRFT’s neurology workstream is led by Dr Geraint Fuller, pictured, consultant neurologist at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Fuller said: “These regional meetings give clinicians the chance to see how their trust’s services fit into overall regional services and how this compares with services around the other 23 neuroscience centres or major neurology centres in England.

“We are looking forward to meeting the country’s neurologists and working together on how we can improve the service for the benefit of patients.”