Our vision
King’s Health Partners Neurosciences has an ambitious vision to use our collective clinical, research, and educational expertise to become:
- Top 10 in the world for neurosciences research, to do this we will become a globally leading Neurosciences Institute, focused on driving improved outcomes and value for patients with neurological conditions through an integrated clinical and academic offer
- The leading centre in the world for experimental medicine research in neurological conditions, building on assets we already have in place
- A system leader, driving excellence of care and equity for patients with neurological conditions across pathways of care in south east London and Kent
- The most highly-rated UK centre for training in clinical specialties and basic neuroscience, providing us with a highly-skilled workforce
- A unique Neurosciences Institute that will drive the integration of mental and physical health to treat the whole person.
Our key focus for 2018/19 is to expand the work we do in experimental medicine research, and to improve patient pathways resulting in better experience and outcomes.
Read our latest neurosciences news | Read our Outcomes Book
Our clinical strengths
There are more than 600 types of neurological conditions, and King’s Health Partners currently provides one of the largest comprehensive clinical neurosciences services in the country. At the heart of this is a large regional Neurosciences Centre at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with a nationally commissioned Neurofibromatosis Service along with Neurology and Neurophysiology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. We are also home to a nationally renowned Neuropsychiatry Service provided by South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, completing our extensive portfolio.
We plan to transform service delivery both within King’s Health Partners and across the wider south east London and Kent system to improve patient experience and outcomes, with a particular focus on patient pathways in the first instance.
Working closely with commissioners and service providers, areas we will focus on include:
- Improving patient pathways across the system, with as much care delivered as close to home as possible
- Standardising care pathways, in-line with best practice and evidence based research findings
- Addressing the holistic needs of our patients through our Mind, Body and Brain Care workstream
- Implementing value based healthcare, starting by strengthening outcomes measurement.
We will approach this on a condition by condition basis and through the development of a Clinical Academic Network that spans south east London and Kent.
Our research strength
The past four years has seen a remarkable series of successful initiatives that have provided a unique foundation on which to construct our Institute.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)/Wellcome Trust King's Clinical Research Facility (CRF), which is substantially focused on neuroscience, was opened in November 2012. The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute (the Wohl), providing 6,500m2 of state-of-the-art neuroscience laboratory space and translational research facilities, was opened in June 2015. In September 2014, King’s College London radically reorganised neuroscience research and education activity across its campuses into a single Division of Neuroscience, which is the second largest academic neuroscience department in the UK.
Already achieving global benchmarks for excellence, we will better connect academic research with our clinical strengths in neurosciences, and with key related areas including psychiatry, trauma, and cancer.
Our education strength
We have an extensive portfolio of training and education opportunities for clinicians and researchers. This ranges from undergraduate courses through to PhDs as well as postgraduate clinical training.
We also plan to:
- Review the feasibility of delivering our education in new ways
- Review and consider how best to meet the educational needs of our neuroscience workforce within King’s Health Partners, and more widely across south east London and Kent
- Increase the options for clinical-academic training
- Review and consider how best to meet the educational needs of our patients, particularly those with long-term neurological conditions, to enable them to self-care.
Access free neurosciences elearning for King’s Health Partners staff.
Mind, Body and Brain Care
Neurological conditions relate to the brain and nervous system and therefore the interaction between neurological (physical) needs and neuropsychological needs is complex, encompassing cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social needs. Findings from both the national GP Survey (2016) and the Neurological Alliance’s 2016 Patient Survey show that nationally these needs are not currently well met.
We want to be at the forefront in addressing patient needs holistically, building on our unique expertise and already established integrated services in stroke, traumatic brain injury and neurorehabilitation.
Through our Mind, Body and Brain Care workstream, we plan to:
- Enhance the assessment and management of the neuropsychological needs of our patients and develop clear pathways and services to meet these needs, across the breadth of specialties using a multidisciplinary team approach
- Develop proposals and campaign for new commissioning arrangements taking a more integrated approach across neurosciences and mental health, encompassing inpatient, outpatient and community services as well as third sector services.