News

Training day for neurorehabilitation specialists - Birmingham, December 2019

"Interested in becoming a medico-legal expert? On 3 December 2019 in Birmingham, NRC Medical Experts are hosting a Training Day on neurorehabilitation for consultants and senior allied health professionals working in, or looking to enter, the medico-legal sector.”

Introduction to Spinal Cord Injuries

"Recent data suggests that in the UK, there are approximately 2,500 new cases of spinal cord injuries every year - meaning that someone receives a spinal injury every four hours.”

Six great reads: life after brain injury

"Recovering from a brain injury can be a long and difficult journey. Reading books written about brain injury and recovery, especially those that are written by survivors and people who have experienced this first hand, can be very beneficial for recovery and for those who wish to understand more.”

What you Need to Know About Being an Expert Medical Witness

"Many clinical trials are won or lost on the quality of the expert evidence and testimonials from expert witness. Being an expert witness is a great chance to challenge yourself, gain more knowledge and experience, add some new variety to your career and – of course – help people to access the right neurological rehabilitation that will lead to the best outcomes for them.”

Meet the expert: Dr Julian Harriss

"A Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine in private practice and Managing Director of the Independent Rehabilitation Medicine Assessments (IRMA), Dr Harriss is a leading medical expert with over twenty years’ experience. He has been a much-valued member of the NRC team for over four years.”

The importance of neurorehabilitation for recovery after brain injury

"Neurorehabilitation after brain injury plays a central role in speeding up the recovery process and preventing further deterioration of brain functions. Rehabilitation can help people achieve the best possible outcome from remaining healthy neurons in the long run.”

Virtual Reality as a Tool for Neurological Rehabilitation

"Virtual Reality (VR) has been here for more than a decade now and other than being an entertainment system, they’re proving to be just as nifty for medical and therapeutic purposes.”

The NR Times study guide: classification of traumatic brain injury

"Dr Julian Harris, of the National Neurological Rehabilitation Chambers, on the vital classification process that shapes treatments and outcomes after brain injury.”

Study Guide - Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

"Seizures may occur after traumatic brain injury; these are known as post-traumatic seizures (PTS). However, not everyone who has post-traumatic seizures will continue to have post-traumatic epilepsy, because the latter is a chronic condition. ”

Study Guide - Life Expectancy

"The only true statement about a life expectancy estimate for the Court is that it is bound to be wrong. There are so many variables to take into account in coming to a life expectancy, particularly in someone with a severe disability, that an accurate prognosis is next to impossible. ”

The NR Times Study Guide: Hypopituitarism

"Prof Mike Barnes’ article on Hypopituitarism has been featured in the summer edition of the NR Times. To read the feature in full, and for more information about the NR Times (including how to subscribe) please follow the link.”

Brain Injury Study Guide – Hypopituitarism

"Hypopituitarism is very common after brain injury and is often misdiagnosed. What is hypopituitarism? This means the pituitary gland is not functioning properly. The pituitary gland is the "master gland" that controls all the other hormonal glands within the body. It is a small gland on a stalk sitting in the middle of the brain. Unfortunately, its position, anatomy and blood supply make it vulnerable to traumatic brain injury.”

Brain Injury Study Guide - Fatigue

"A symptom, a subjective phenomenon, not something which can be measured objectively. Depression anxiety or stress may exacerbate or be the cause of fatigue. View our fatigue study guide.”

Robots Rise to Data Challenge

"Neuro-rehab’s struggles to use patient and research data effectively could be solved by artificial intelligence (AI), as NR Times discovers. ”

Our First Solicitor Training Event a Success!

"On Thursday 19 October we held our first training event for solicitors. It was well attended and we focussed on controversies in our field including the inappropriate use of the term "mild" brain injury, the need for SMART assessments to be used more widely, the potential of artificial intelligence to assist our work and the fact that neurorehab physicians are more useful in assessing quantum than neurologists! ”

Space Tourism may finally be about to become a reality. What medical requirements will be involved for those who participate, and can it be made safe?

"Space tourism, from a medical perspective, opens up a whole new - and sometimes rather grey - area. ”

Ban tackling in school rugby for safety, experts demand

"Prof Allyson Pollock, from Newcastle University, is presenting new evidence that banning tackling would reduce concussion, head and neck injuries.”

Nine lifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk, study says

"One in three cases of dementia could be prevented if more people looked after their brain health throughout life, according to an international study in the Lancet.”

Neurology and Neurorehabilitation – the difference in expert opinion

"Many solicitors tell us that they are confused about the expertise they are relying upon, particularly when asking for opinions from neurologists and neurological rehabilitation physicians.”

The neurology of ageing: what is normal?

"As with all aspects of human physiology, the nervous system alters with ageing. Even in the healthiest elderly, there is more neuronal loss, more vascular pathology and numerous changes at the cellular level compared with healthy younger adults. ”

NNRC and Gill-Thwaites and Elliott are pleased to announce their co-operation in the pursuit of better assessment and management of patients with PDOC

"National Neurological Rehabilitation Chambers and Gill-Thwaites and Elliott are pleased to announce their co-operation in the pursuit of better assessment and management of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC). ”

First Aid in a terrorist age. Would you know what do to if you were first on the scene after a terror attack?

"Would you know what to do if you were first on the scene of a terrorist outrage where dozens of people were injured and dying? ‘There is a well known phenomenon called the ‘bystander effect’, where everyone does nothing because they assume someone else knows what to do,’ says Joe Mulligan, head of First Aid education at the British Red Cross. ”

NNRC are pleased to announce that we have set up a joint working initiative with Maggie Sargent & Associates

"To ensure the most accurate assessment of present and future care needs in cases of neurological disability it is fundamental that there is a clear opinion on medical condition and prognosis. NNRC and Maggie Sargent & Associates are pleased to announce their co-operation to underpin better understanding between the medical and nursing disciplines in producing expert care reports and neurological rehabilitation medicine reports. ”

Medical supervision of community neurological rehabilitation programmes

"In response to considerable interest from claimant solicitors the Chambers is now able to offer medical supervision of the community neurological rehabilitation programmes commonly prescribed as a result of a medico-legal assessment. ”

New Report Shows Traumatic Brain Injury is a Major Threat to Older People

"A new report published by healthcare intelligence provider, Wilmington Healthcare and UKABIF shows that many hospital admissions in England for traumatic brain injury are for people over the age of 75.”

Is there such thing as mild TBI?

"Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined by clinical criteria as follows: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13 – 15, Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) ”

Solicitor Training Day 2017

"On Thursday 19 October 2017 we will be holding a training day in London for solicitors. ”

Can your voice reveal whether you have an illness?

"Our voices are amazing things. And now researchers believe they can also reveal whether we're getting ill. ”

The highs and lows of cannabinoid

"Studies show that cannabidiol (CBD) has an impact on a wide variety of conditions including Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, heart health, inflammation and anxiety.”

Our First Member Event

"On 16 November we held our first member event, at away day at Fieldfisher, London. ”

Insurers have pledged to pass on the savings worth about £40 a year.

"Following a promise made last year, ministers are looking at scrapping the right to compensation or capping it.”

Transplanted neurons act like the normal cells lost to brain damage

"Transplanted embryonic neurons represent hope for many patients with brain diseases or head injuries.”

Cannabis Should Be Legalised For Medicinal Use, Parliamentary Group Says

"Britain “lags behind” at least 11 other European countries and nearly half of US states as medicinal use of Cannabis continues to be illegal.”

UKABIF's 8th Annual Conference

"Take a journey through acquired brain injury with UKABIF this November. ”

Childhood concussion linked to lifelong health and social problems

"Study suggests that even mild childhood head injuries can increase the risk of low educational attainment, psychiatric hospitalisation and early death.”

Traumatic brain injury and offending

"Over a million people in this country live with the consequences of traumatic brain injury, at a cost to the economy of around £15 billion a year.”

Challenges and opportunities for UK independent providers of neurorehabilitation services

"Challenges and opportunities for UK independent providers of neurorehabilitation services navigating the current UK NHS Commissioning Environment”

Dysexecutive symptoms and carer strain following acquired brain injury

"Following acquired brain injury (ABI), deficits in executive functioning (EF) are common. As a result many brain-injured patients encounter problems in every-day functioning, and their families experience significant strain.”

Driverless Cars - who will be responsible in the event of an accident?

"The arrival of driverless cars on our roads is now inevitable. Testing has already begun in this country and around the world. ”

Updated ‘Life Expectancy for People with Disabilities’ report to be published soon

"2016 updated version of Professor Mike Barnes’ report ‘Life Expectancy for People with Disabilities’ is to be published shortly.”

New Appointments

"The Rehabilitation Chambers appoints Frances Bonikowski as Development Manager and Kate McMullen as Administration Manager. ”

The Rehabilitation Chambers official launch

"The Rehabilitation Chambers has signed up it's first 20 Consultants in Rehabilitation Medicine and will launch on 18 April 2016. ”