2007 Conference: Challenges Facing Neuro-Rehab

Our 2007 one-day accredited conference entitled 'Challenges facing Neuro-Rehab' was held on Wednesday 18th April 2007 at Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Padworth, Reading, RG7 5HT. If you wish, please take a look at the hotel website and a location map.

The conference has been awarded 6 accreditation points by the Royal College of Physicians, and the accreditation number is 36871.

The conference provided a platform for leading national speakers in the field of neurology and rehabilitation to share their knowledge with everyone involved in improving the quality of life for people living with a neurological problem.

Click here to view the Challenges Facing Neuro-Rehab conference leaflet including a registration form (requires Acrobat Reader).

Profiles of Speakers

Dr Keith Andrews, MD FRCP is Director of the Institute of Neuropalliative Rehabilitation, Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, London.

He was a member of the Research and Evidence Group for the 'National Service Framework on Long Term Conditions' (2005). In fact he reported on the NSF at our 2005 conference ' Action in Neuro-Rehab'. 

Professor Andrews recently published a major report with Professor Lynne Turner-Stokes entitled: 'Rehabilitation in the 21st Century'. He is a member of several international working parties on profound brain damage and was formerly Editor in Chief of 'Clinical Rehabilitation'.

Professor Geoffrey Raisman FRS is Director of the Spinal Repair Unit, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, The Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London. 

Professor Raisman is world-class British neuroscientist who leads a pioneering group which is researching the repair of spinal injury using revolutionary cellular transplantation techniques.  

He is recognised for his ground-breaking research on olfactory ensheathing glial cells that are recognised as one of the most promising means for spinal repair. These cells have the advantage that they may be obtained from adult patients, who can thus build up a bank of their own cells for autografting into areas of damage in the spinal cord, and in this way avoid the problems of using embryonic tissue, and the dangers of crossing an immune barrier. Further details can be found at: www.ion.ucl.ac.uk/research/hbir/spinal_repair_unit.

 Professor Raisman recently featured in the Sunday Times magazine entitled 'Miracle Worker' which provides a profile and reviews his career. It also provides a clear description of his work in layman's language. This article can be viewed at:  www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-2111140_1,00.html.

Robert Gifford FRSA is the Executive Director of the Parliamentary Action Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Westminster. 

PACTS is an associate Parliamentary group and registered charity, advising and informing MPs and Peers on road, rail and air safety issues. The PACTS charitable objective is to protect human life through the promotion of transport safety for the public benefit. It brings together safety professionals and legislators to identify research-based solutions to transport safety problems having regard to cost, effectiveness, achievability and acceptability. Established in 1982, PACTS has gained a reputation in Westminster and Whitehall for independent cross-modal transport safety analysis and commentary. For further information visit: www.pacts.org.uk.

Professor Christine Collin FRCP is a senior consultant at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading where she has developed an acute inpatient neuro-rehabilitation unit and assisted in the development of stroke services for all ages. Professor Collin holds a clinic at the West Berkshire Community Hospital and has a large outpatient practice for all aspects neurologically disabling disorders. Her published work covers assessment, stroke treatment and outcome, mild and severe head injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease and other rehabilitation issues. Over the last 16 years she has been involved in all aspects of the practical management of motor neurone disease.

Dr Trevor Powell is a consultant clinical psychologist with Berkshire Healthcare, Reading. Apart from being a practicing neuropsychologist, Dr Powell has written a number of key texts on brain injury and rehabilitation, mental health issues, anxiety and stress management.  

Dr Powell's publications include: 'The Mental Health Handbook' (2000: Speechmark Publishing Ltd) and 'Anxiety and Stress Management' (1990: Routledge). He has also published a number of popular psychology books for the layman:  'Stress Free Living' (2000: Dorling Kindersley Publishing) and 'Free Yourself from Harmful Stress' (1997: DK Publishing).

Mr Jack Collin FRCS has been a consultant vascular surgeon at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford since 1980 and is a Professional Fellow at Trinity College, Oxford.  

Mr Collin trained in the North-East of England and at the Mayo Clinic in the USA. His vascular surgical interests include: the prevention and treatment of stroke and the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Professor Alastair Buchan FRCS is a Neurologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he heads the Acute Stroke Programme and is also Professor of Clinical Geratology at the University of Oxford. He is also a Strand Leader for the newly-announced UK Stroke Research Network. 

Whilst working in Canada Professor Buchan developed the Calgary Stroke Programme which initiated a region-wide stroke prevention/stroke treatment programme.  During his eight years in Calgary, over 525 people have been treated. For more information visit:  www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/ndm/geratology2.

Dr Rob George MA MD FRCP is a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Meadow House Hospice, Ealing NHS Primary Care Trust, and is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Ethics, University College London. 

Apart from being a practicing clinician, he publishes and lectures widely on biomedical ethics. He has provided expert advice to the Government on a variety of issues relating to end of life care. Dr George gave a good deal of support to the Upper House in its passage of the recent Mental Incapacity Act and is an advisor to those opposing the Joffe Bill in the House of Lords. He is a member of the National Council for Palliative Care and the Association for Palliative Medicine.

Deborah Annetts became Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying in 2001 when it was known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Society.  

Deborah Annetts read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University before working in the NHS. Following the NHS she became a solicitor and was a partner at the leading human rights practice Stephens Innocent. Her clients have ranged from charities, trade unions and arts organisations to individuals.  She has taken many groundbreaking cases, particularly those relating to sex and disability discrimination.  

Deborah Annetts is now Dignity in Dying's main spokesperson. She regularly comments on Assisted Dying and Living Wills in the media and has appeared on the 'Today' programme on BBC Radio 4 and 'Newsnight' on BBC2. She speaks both nationally and internationally on end of life decision making from the perspective of the patient and is a leading expert in this area. For more information visit: www.dignityindying.org.uk/aboutus, and for a profile of Deborah Annetts visit the Guardian website: http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1693767,00.html.