Neurosciences (Neurosurgery and Neurology) Team

Meet the team

• Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist   
• Team Lead Occupational Therapists 
• Senior Occupational Therapists (rotational) 
• Occupational Therapists (rotational) 
• Senior Therapy Assistants 
• Occupational Therapy assistants 

About us

The Neurosciences team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham work across three wards:

• Ward 407 & Ward 409 – Neurosurgery
• Ward 411 – Neurology  

We also review neurosurgical outliers on Ward 408, Ambulatory Care and Bournville Ward. 

The team provide Occupational Therapy interventions to optimise function and independence through specialist assessment, treatment and acute rehabilitation for patients with traumatic/acquired brain or spinal injury and for those with newly diagnosed or long-term neurological impairment. 

Occupational Therapists are holistic and consider the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and environmental impacts of the neurological impairment or disorder on an individuals’ independence in day-to-day life.

Conditions we treat

Neurosurgery

• Post operative brain and spinal tumour removal 
• Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries 
• Elective spinal surgeries including fusions and disc removal 
• Chronic subdural haematomas 
• Subarachnoid haemorrhages requiring surgical intervention 
• Shunt insertion for Hydrocephalus  
• Other acquired brain injury  

Neurology

• Multiple Sclerosis 
• Motor Neurone Disease 
• Guillain–Barré syndrome 
• Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy 
• Encephalitis 
• Hypoxic Brain injuries 
• Other rare neurological conditions  

What to expect

Our team of Occupational Therapists have a specialist set of skills who work collaboratively with the wider multi-disciplinary team (MDT) within Neurosciences to deliver safe, holistic care.  

We treat a wide range of neurosurgical and neurological conditions following varied procedures and treatments, requiring Occupational Therapy assessment and interventions as part of their acute rehabilitation in addition to discharge planning.  

Specific therapeutic intervention may include: 

• Head screens 
• Splinting and casting 
• Seating and wheelchair provision 
• Cognitive and complex functional assessments 
• Visual assessments 
• Upper limb assessments 

As part of the MDT, we will advise on patients whom may require further in-patient rehabilitation in a specialist neurological or behavioural rehabilitation unit  

For those patients who do not require in-patient rehabilitation, we will provide a holistic assessment of cognitive and functional needs to support discharge home with appropriate advice, equipment and/or care needs, referring to community agencies where required to support ongoing recovery and rehabilitation.  

Who we work with

We work closely with a multi-disciplinary team which includes Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Dietitians, Nursing staff, Healthcare assistants, Surgeons, Doctors, Rehabilitation Consultants, Acute case manager and clinical nurse specialists. 

We also work closely with the voluntary sector with organisations such as Headway, the MND association and Brain Tumour charity.

How to be referred

We screen everyone admitted to the Neurosurgical/Neurology ward but will also receive referrals via our internal electronic referrals system (PICS) for those patients on outlier wards.