The best neuro care and rehabilitation depends upon expert clinicians working together as one team, with one common goal to improve people’s care and quality of life. Here, we learn how Elysium Neurological’s EveryExpert approach to neuro care and rehabilitation is helping to achieve positive outcomes for the individuals they support.
Elysium Neurological operate six neuro care and rehabilitation services across the UK and provide complex care for a variety of conditions, including ABI and spinal cord injuries, Huntington’s, PDOC, spasticity and complex dementias.
Front and centre to Elysium’s approach to complex care is the firm belief that when clinical experts collaborate and share best practice and knowledge, individual outcomes for patients are improved and quality of life of each person is optimised. Whatever care pathway is most suitable for an individual’s needs, Elysium’s promise is to always have the best clinician, with the most relevant and effective knowledge of their condition and treatment, supervising their care.
This EveryExpert approach to care is based on three key principles:
- Expert clinicians working together as one team
- Combining expert knowledge with expert clinical care
- Achieving positive outcomes personalised for each individual
We spoke with some of Elysium’s senior team to find out more about what these key principles entail.
Expert Clinicians Working Together As One Team
“Collaborative working is the most effective way to achieve positive outcomes for the people we support,” says Joy Chamberlain, CEO of Elysium Healthcare.
“We can see first-hand how individual outcomes are improved when all clinicians and therapists involved in a person’s care work together, drawing upon each other’s specialist knowledge and experience.
“Across our Neurological division, this approach is vital so that we ensure that the many complex and diverse needs of individuals in our care are met. That means whether they have an acquired brain injury or are living with a neuro-progressive condition, our team of experts are there to provide the most effective care and treatment at the most appropriate point of their care pathway.”
Collaborative working also plays a significant role in maintaining quality of life for individuals. Professor Quazi Haque, Executive Medical Director of Elysium Healthcare, explains the impact of the EveryExpert approach and the provision of holistic care on wellbeing.
Quazi says: “We’re always mindful that quality of life and wellbeing should be prioritised no matter what condition someone is living with, or what injury they have sustained. And this is where real team work comes into play – be they an OT, psychologist, psychiatrist, physiotherapist or a member of our care team, everyone at Elysium works together to ensure a joined-up approach to complex care, that focuses on the individual needs of each person.
“In this way we can respond to changing care or rehab needs, the team will be in agreement on the goals and outcomes they are working towards, and wellbeing is a central focus of all collective decisions. We see huge benefits to the individual receiving care and we know that this can then help aid recovery or maintain quality of life.”
Combining Expert Knowledge With Expert Clinical Care
Ensuring that expert knowledge and best practice is embedded across the provision of care helps team members make informed decisions about how to best to provide complex care.
Professor Nick Alderman, Clinical Director, Neurobehavioural Rehabilitation Services & Head of Psychology, has recently led a project to ensure that all six Elysium Neurological services have reviewed and agreed a set of outcome measures for each care 
pathway that is being implemented across the division.
As Nick explains, this is a significant development in measuring the standard of care Elysium delivers and an important step forward in combining clinical knowledge and continually improving the services.
Nick says: “Our agreed outcome measures were decided through consultation with experts both within and outside Elysium Healthcare, drawing upon a wide range of knowledge and experience to ensure we have the most comprehensive system possible to improve the patient pathway.
“When outcome measurement is embedded within a model of working, it benefits an organisation in many different ways. There is a culture of reflection and ongoing objective measurement, where all staff teams reflect upon what we are achieving and its purpose. In this way, health benefits and positive outcomes become an integral part of practice.
“We can now combine expert knowledge with the actual care that is being provided in our services. It helps us monitor the efficacy of the treatments and therapies that are being delivered and the impact on the person and their experience of care.”
Achieving Positive Outcomes Personalised For Each Individual
Listening and responding to the needs and wishes of individuals and their families is a central concern within the provision of 
complex care at Elysium Neurological. Often individuals have been admitted unexpectedly to primary care, perhaps by sustaining a traumatic injury. This may then have led to an extended period in hospital whilst receiving care from multiple care teams, before they arrive at an Elysium service. It can be a particularly difficult experience for individuals and families to navigate and so Elysium endeavour to make their provision of complex care as personalised as possible.
“Involving the individuals we support and incorporating their wishes in care is fundamental to our approach,” says Sheila Manisier, Business Development Director for Elysium Neurological.
“Patient inclusion and empowerment to influence and shape the experience and delivery of complex care is crucial. Without taking on board what individuals need and want, there is a big gap in service provision. Engaging with people and their families means that positive outcomes are truly reflective of personalised needs and not just those of a healthcare system.
“We also actively pursue partnerships with specialist organisations and associations across the different care pathways we work in. We’ll do whatever we can do to ensure we have the latest knowledge, treatments and support available within our services so that each person receives the best care and support to fulfil their individual needs.”
Get the latest insights, blogs and news from Elysium Neurological over on their EveryExpert thought leadership hub:
https://www.elysiumhealthcare.co.uk/neurological/every-expert/
