10th May 2018
Central Hall Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH

IS IT WORTH IT?
Weighing up what is of value for life after Brain Injury

"What counts for most people in investing is not how much they know, but rather how realistically they define what they don't know."

Brain injury is the leading cause of severe disability. The financial costs for the country, in provision of acute medical treatment in hospitals and rehabilitation and care in the community or in long-term placements are high. Most importantly, it is also the costs to the clients and families in their sense of ‘wellbeing’, for instance, emotional stability, health, participation in life and security.

Do we actually know what these costs actually are and do they change over time? And how can we address these to dynamically balance the books in respect of an individual’s health and wellbeing, to achieve greater opportunities, productivity and quality of life, whilst also reducing uncertainties and financial costs.

This training aims to investigate the cost-benefits of ‘specialism in brain injury’ and investing knowledge, time and resources to achieve positive outcomes for individuals with brain injury and their families in developing their new lives.

15th March 2018
BMA House, London, WC1H 9JP

The Arts Therapies and Brain Injury Conference: Optimising Outcomes Across Assessment, Treatment and Care

There is now greater awareness of the clinical importance art and music therapies can play in furthering successful client outcomes as part of the overall MDT approach. Delegates will benefit from hearing the latest evidence based research from world leaders in this area as well as practical sessions where delegates can explore these approaches and gain understanding how implementation can help optimise outcomes in both the clinical as well as medicolegal setting.

8th February 2018
BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP

Brain Injury: Out of Focus
The identification and treatment of the lesser explored complications of brain injury

This conference will highlight the numerous potential complications and sequelae following brain injury.

Presenters will consider diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options of those lesser explored complications and discuss ways to ensure that brain injury complications are not missed or overlooked by case managers, lawyers and treating clinicians.

12th October 2017
Pullman International Hotel, St Pancras, London, NW1 2AJ

Navigating the Mind Field: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Detailed look at the lesser explored issues of mild traumatic bran injury

Sessions will cover:

The aetiology, mechanism and structural changes in the brain in mild traumatic brain injury (mild TBI).

The effect of mild TBI on the functioning of the brain and mind.

The complex overlap with psychological trauma e.g. PTSD/psychiatric trauma and depression/anxiety, experienced by individuals with mild TBI.

How to quantify the neurological, psychiatric and psychological sequelae of Mild TBI by measuring the microscopic disruption of functional brain networks.

The medicolegal and personal implications of early accurate diagnosis of mild TBI.

New and advanced neuro imaging techniques and related technologies to monitor and quantify objective evidence of brain injury and response to treatment

14th September 2017
Pullman International Hotel, St Pancras, London, NW1 2AJ

TECH CON 2017
Bring yourself up-to-date regarding technological developments across a wide range of different fields all in one go.

A brand new one-day conference for lawyers, case managers and clinicians focussing on the very latest innovations and cutting-edge developments in medical and assistive technology.

13th July 2017
One Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA

My Life; My Injury
A focus on neurological injury and the actual impact of clinicians.

These presentations will analyse immediate trauma care, decisions taken by neurosurgeons, rehabilitation on the ward, decisions about onward rehabilitation and getting back to the home environment and will relate in particular to the impact of litigation.

From the point of injury to getting rehabilitation in place and beyond The day will be a series of presentations from the front line of those involved in the immediate and long term aftermath of a brain injury. It will analyse immediate trauma care, the decisions taken by neurosurgeons, the rehabilitation on the ward, the decisions about onward rehabilitation and getting back to the home environment.

The sessions will deal with the more challenging scenarios faced by many clinicians in the immediate aftermath of an injury and relate in particular the impact of litigation. It will in particular seek to deal with the immediate difficult decision that need to be taken by the legal team and the urgent steps that should be taken at the outset. It will then seek to deal with the longer term aftermath; lives shattered and consequences follow such as involvement in drugs, alcohol, inappropriate spending/relationships and the management of family relationships which have clearly broken down.

15th June 2017
BMA House, London, WC1H 9JP

National Paediatric Brain Injury Conference
Through the Looking Glass: Rehabilitation after Brain Injury for Children & Young People

This conference will provide a national forum for specialists working with children and young people with brain injury, enabling them to explore and learn rehabilitation approaches and strategies.

4th May 2017
Central Hall Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH

Riding the Rapids: Negotiating the Challenges of Life after Brain Injury

As experienced practitioners in the field of brain injury, all of us know better than to expect a totally smooth ride…

Challenges arise as a consequence of the very nature of brain injury; the dynamic balance between engaging and empowering the client whilst also keeping them safe. As professionals, travelling with the client on their journey through life, we also face our own challenges, often against a backdrop of limited resources, in addressing conflicting expectations, perspectives, needs and demands of the systems and individuals around the client.

Theses presentations are designed to assist us with negotiating these challenges, and include family perspectives, time-perception and client engagement, as well as hot topics such as decision-making, risk-taking, social media and sex.

22nd September 2016
Pullman Hotel, St Pancras, London

Innovations in Clinical Practice

The aim of these presentations is to inspire clinicians to think outside the box when there is a limited evidence base for intervention.

They will focus on brain injury related problems that clinicians encounter that receive less attention in literature.

You will learn ideas for treating some, often neglected, but never the less important consequences of brain injury. The sessions will also focus on implementation of treatment tools and approaches in a range of clinical settings.

7th July 2016
London City Hall

Hidden in Plain Sight: Exploring often overlooked physiological, psychiatric and psychological deficits after brain injury

The examination of issues relating to brain injury and the impact on cases involving litigation. The course will provide an update on key issues and concerns in relation to neurology and litigation. Talks are from a solicitor, Counsel, Neurologist, Neuro-Radiologist, ENT expert, Neuro-ophthalmic Consultant and Occupational Therapist

19th May 2016
Central Hall, Westminster, London

Thinking Ahead: Life care planning and brain injury

Life care planning is a concept developed in the USA with its roots in experimental analysis of behaviour, developmental psychology and case management. Given that brain injury invariably has lifelong implications, these presentations aim to explore some of the elements of life care planning and to consider whether we can better meet the needs of clients and their families over time.

17th March 2016
Riverbank House, London Bridge, London

A Beautiful Mind
Helping us to better understand psychological and psychiatric sequelae, treatment and legal implications

These session aim to provide the user with an understanding of how solicitors approach and deal with difficulty psychiatric injuries and to increase awareness and understanding of psychiatric injuries. Users will gain a knowledge of the psychological therapies including psychodynamic, systemic and cognitive behavioural perspectives and have a better understanding on facial injuries and the impact it has on patients.

Users will also gain:
- an awareness of the neuroscientific basis of the Chimp Model and understand how it can be applied to recognise and begin to manage the sequelae of traumatic and significant life events.

- an understanding of the current definitions and diagnosis of functional neurological disorder and the overlap between physical precipitants, psychological precipitants and pre-existing personality and other factors in patients with functional neurological disorder. To also understand the treatment options and prognosis of patients with functional neurological disorder.

- an understanding of the complex decisions that have to be made as to whether or not someone's liberty should be taken away, how to medicate them and issues of diagnosis and treatment. To also gain a better understanding of the law as it applies to these specific cases.

11th February 2016
London

Improving Child Brain Injury Outcome: From science to innovation in practice

Presentations at an in-depth level by leading national clinicians, practitioners and researchers to describe and challenge the misconceptions that are held by some about clinical rehabilitation – in terms of research, outcomes, and the idea of a ‘final end point’ with respect to recovery after brain injury; and in the process of rehabilitation. How should the concept of neurorehabilitation be understood in real life?

What are the positive changes and opportunities that can be identified by a perception that rehabilitation is about reaching one’s potential, particularly for children and young people whose brains are still developing, rather than rehabilitating ‘back to’ something?

Subjects to include:

- the neuroscience of brain development in adolescence along with philosophical challenges and questions about the concept of adolescence, and when this transitional period begins and ends

- the positive and creative changes for an individual following a brain injury: a story of recovery and living

- Neurorehabilitation goals within a story framework i.e. that aid the ‘story’ of rehabilitation in a scientifically valid and measurable way

- Paediatric neuroscience and brain scan research latest updates, particularly in relation to paediatric brain injury

- Trauma intervention development for use in brain injury

15th October 2015
The Pullman Hotel, St Pancras, London

The Big Picture: How advances in neuroimaging and other new diagnostic biomarkers influence the evaluation of Brain Injury in clinical medicine, rehabilitation and in Court.

Session include:
Overview of diagnostic imaging for TBI , including latest biomarkers for mild brain injury.

Application of sophisticated diagnostics including functional brain imaging for understanding subtle neurological sequel of TBI.

The limitations of diagnostic biomarkers in 2015 in determining whether there is damage to the brain and or mind – the challenge for neuropsychiatry.

The critical role of diagnostic imaging and latest biomarkers for accurate evaluation of birth injury

How accurate diagnostic information underpins the quality of the Expert Witness report – a lawyer’s perspective.

How high quality diagnostic information shared by the MDT permits development of successful, individually designed, rehabilitation programmes for individuals with brain injury.

9th July 2015
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

Court in the Middle

An examination of the Court Process from all angles and the impact the Courts have on those who have suffered Catastrophic Neurological Injuries

14th May 2015
Central Hall, Westminster, London

The Neurofunctional Approach: Achieving Positive Outcomes in Everyday Life after Brain Injury

19th March 2015
Riverbank House, London Bridge, London

Fifty Shades of Pain

16th October 2014
The Pullman Hotel, St Pancras, London

How Can Neuroscience Better Inform Neurorehabilitation?

11th July 2014
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

Rebuilding Lives Through Litigation

16th May 2014
Central Hall Westminster, London

What Is So Special About Brain Injury?

30th October 2013
The East Midlands Conference Centre (The University of Nottingham)

Finding the right balance

11th July 2013
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

Managing Complex Neurological Injuries through Rehabilitation and Litigation

16th May 2013
Central Hall Westminster, London

Aiming Higher, Expanding Horizons: What does it take to thrive in Brain Injury?

An inquiry into the impact of positive attitudes and approaches on outcomes