Posted on: 14 September 2023
Two Neuro Navigators (which are hosted by CNWL) have been recruited to support the Outer London Boroughs in North West London - say hello to Helen and Lucy.
Neuro navigators support people with complex neurological conditions to avoid lengthy stays in hospital or care settings. They work with patients, families and clinicians to ‘navigate‘ their rehabilitation journey to the most appropriate destination.
“We hope to be an advocate and empower our patients, supporting them through their rehabilitation journey to access the most appropriate services at the most appropriate time,” they said.
The roles have been introduced from the North West London (NWL) Community Provider Collaborative to level up with Inner London boroughs, which already have neuro navigators in place.
Initially, they will focus on supporting patients in the boroughs of Ealing and Hillingdon. The service will then develop to cover all the Outer Boroughs of NWL including Hounslow, Brent and Harrow.
Helen and Lucy have specialised neurological skills, and combined they have over 30 years’ experience.
Helen said:
“I have almost 20 years' experience working within the NHS as an Occupational Therapist, most recently at Hillingdon Hospital. I’ve worked with patients in the first hours following their stroke, and preparing them to go home. I’ve also worked with patients in the community who have complex long-term neurological conditions”.
Recently, Helen has also completed a Master's module at Brunel University in Functional Neuroscience for Rehabilitation.
Lucy said:
“I am a Physiotherapist by background with over 13 years' experience. I’ve worked across the neurological pathway from ICU to rehab units to the community teams. Most recently I was working in the fast-paced major trauma unit at St Marys Hospital. I’ve also spent some of my career working in Australia”.
Lucy said everyone has been so welcoming and friendly, making a huge amount of effort to get these new roles get off to the best start.
The posts will form a part of the NWL-wide neuro navigators network covering Inner and Outer London.