A professor from Harvard University and leading medical consultants from Oxford and Cambridge University Hospitals were among the experts who came to speak last week at a national conference organised and hosted by Holy Cross Hospital.
Haslemere’s Holy Cross Hospital has developed a reputation as a centre of excellence. It helps people with severe disabilities and long-term conditions to achieve the best quality of life. The hospital provides specialist and highly skilled treatment to its patients who have suffered damage to the brain as a result of incidents such as road traffic accidents, strokes and other medical causes.
The aim of the conference was to bring together leading experts in the highly specialist field of disorders of consciousness to share their expertise and knowledge about the latest research and treatments available.
Speaking after the conference, Rasheed Meeran, Director of Clinical Services at Holy Cross said: “As a centre for excellence in treating people with complex, severe disabilities and long-term conditions, we are constantly learning from our peers and experts across the UK and beyond – not to mention from our own research – to offer our patients the latest treatments and therapies. We organised this, our second conference, to share that knowledge beyond Holy Cross. We are very privileged indeed to have had Dr Joseph Giacino come over from America to speak at the conference.”
Dr Giacino is an Associate Professor at Harvard University and leading expert in the field of rehabilitation neuropsychology. Along with top consultants from the Regional Rehabilitation Unit (Northwick Park Hospital), Putney’s Royal Hospital for Neurodisability, Oxford and Cambridge University hospitals, professors from the School of Health and Rehabilitation at Keele University, Cardiff University and leading therapists from other centres of excellence, he spoke to around 100 medical professionals who attended the two-day conference.
As well as speaking at the conference, during his visit, Dr Giacino spent a day delivering a specialist workshop for professionals from across the UK working with people with a disorder of consciousness.
Holy Cross Hospital held the first conference in 2014. It came about after Rasheed Meeran, who has worked at Holy Cross for over a decade, identified the need to share the knowledge, research and contacts gathered at Holy Cross Hospital with professionals across his field.
More information about the hospital is available at www.holycross.org.uk.