Worldwide interest shown in North neuro rehab expertise

May 29 2008 by Graeme King, The Journal

EXPERTISE in helping rehabilitate people with brain injuries could soon be exported from the North East to as far away as the Philippines.

Newly established Gateshead’s Hunters Moor Neuro Rehab has made such an impact with its service to offer therapy to patients in their own home, the company’s management are being asked to provide training abroad.

Professor Mike Barnes, president of the World Federation of Neurological Rehabilitation (WFNR), launched Hunters Moor this year with colleague John Donovan, a former senior NHS manager specialising in complex disabilities. The two men aimed to offer rehabilitation services to brain injured patients after they have left hospital, having found the level of provision for such people was quite patchy.

The business already has 12 patients in its home region, and is in the process of signing up more across the UK, once checks have been made on the care required.

Now the company – named after the recently closed Newcastle hospital – is getting inquiries from across the world for its experts to share their knowledge.

Through his role with WFNR, Prof Barnes is now hosting talks with secretaries of state for health in Poland and the Philippines, and says Hunters Moor has the potential to provide consultancy advice to health services around the globe.

He said: “Through my work as president of WFNR, I have worldwide contacts, and there is interest in training for therapists in community rehabilitation in different parts of the world.

“I have made contacts in Poland and the Philippines – we will not provide therapists out there, but will provide training as their people are not fully trained in neuro rehabilitation.”

Prof Barnes said he had some experience of training overseas through his NHS work at the old Hunters Moor Hospital.

He was involved a in a team which trained therapist in Moldova in eastern Europe.

Meanwhile back in the United Kingdom, Hunters Moor is set to expand as it tries to satisfy demand from across the country.

Prof Barnes said: “Hunters Moor started off in the North East but we are now getting interest from across the UK – down to the south coast and up into Scotland.

“There is no doubt there is big demand for this service from across the country.

“We aim to be UK’s largest supplier of neuro rehabilitation services – outside the hospital sector.

“We have felt for years there was a big gap in the market for this – people often have good rehabilitation in a hospital setting, but then they get home and the level of treatment they get around the country is a bit patchy.”

Hunters Moor Neuro Rehab has received help with its growth plans from Business Link North East. Mr Donovan said: “We currently provide community therapy programmes throughout the North East as well as UK wide rehabilitation assessment and consultancy.

“Thanks to a comprehensive marketing and PR strategy crafted with support from Business Link, we are already receiving calls from patients and their families from across the UK.”

Business Link helped the company to identify funding options.

Steve Langdown, Business Link account manager, said: “For any business, effective communications with customers is key for growth but this is especially true for start-up businesses.

“Many entrepreneurs do not know where to turn but that is where our knowledge and experience comes into play.”