The Neurorehabilitation Pathways Team (NRPT): a model of good practice?

Background: It is suggested that community based neurorehabilitation can provide benefits to both patients and health care providers in the shape of improved clinical outcomes and lower costs relative to inpatient care in tertiary centres. National guidelines within the UK have also called for care to be delivered 'closer to home'. However, there is very little research on community based models of care for complex neurological patients and little evidence of how these models can deliver improved outcomes. Content: This article describes the model of care employed by Central Surrey Health and presents data from an audit of clinical records to support its effectiveness. Conclusions: This article has shown that the Neurorehabilitation Pathways Team (NRPT) achieve important clinical improvements for our patients whether treated as inpatients or in the community. As a group of experienced senior clinicians the NRPT accurately predict the likely clinical outcomes for each patient (90-97%) and give health care purchasers accurate predictions of the care pathway each patient will follow (84%). This provides a model of care which meets national guidelines and is potentially delivering both good clinical outcomes and cost savings for the health service compared to the former and more common model of care used in the UK.