National

The 1980s and 1990s saw significant growth in neurological rehabilitation in the UK and I was fortunate enough to play a role in the growth of the speciality. In the early 1990s I was President of the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine (BSRM). The BSRM represents rehabilitation physicians in the UK and over the last 20 years has grown from a new society with a handful of members to a thriving specialist society with several hundred members and an active education, teaching and conference programme. (www.bsrm.co.uk). I am now treasurer of the BSRM.

I have been Chair of the Joint Speciality Committee on Rehabilitation Medicine, which is part of the structure of the Royal College of Physicians. I also chaired the Specialist Advisory Committee, which is the body responsible for the oversight of physicians training in rehabilitation medicine and for the approval of training programmes. 

I was also a Founder Trustee of the MS Trust. This is now a significant force in the world of multiple sclerosis and has been the body mainly responsible for the initiation of MS nurses across the country. The MS Trust now hosts an annual conference that is recognised as the highlight of the year for nurses, therapists and other clinicians involved with multiple sclerosis.  (www.mstrust.org.uk)

The last few years has seen the growth of similar supportive groups for people with brain injury. The United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) has now become a coordinating body for clinicians, professionals and survivors involved in this field. I became Chairman of UKABIF in January 2008. (www.ukabif.org.uk).  UKABIF is now affiliated to an increasing number of local and regional acquired brain injury forums and in 2006 we formed a group in the North of England (Northern Acquired Brain Injury Forum - NABIF). I have been chairman of this group since its inception and we now have over 100 members representing clinicians in the statutory, private and charitable sector as well as others involved in the field, such as personal injury lawyers and survivors of brain injury.  (www.nabif.org).