Our Work

• For about three years before the launch of GMNA in 1998, its founding members had been acting as a voluntary organisations’ Implementation Group, commenting on the plans for the creation at Hope Hospital (now Salford Royal) of a Neurosciences Centre for Greater Manchester. This strong link with the Neurosciences Centre has continued with GMNA representation on the Neurosciences Integrated Service Team (IST) for Long-term Conditions, with a successful joint event in 2006 and with the election of one of our Executive Members, Mike Harnor, to the Board of Governors at the Foundation Trust.
• The launch in March 2005 of the NSF for Long-term Neurological Conditions created a great new opportunity for GMNA to raise the profile of neurological conditions and to press for improved services and more involvement of users and carers. The NSF describes 11 Quality Requirements covering all aspects and stages of health and social care. Though very welcome, the NSF comes with no additional funding or specific timescales and therefore needs continued promotion, hence our project, see below. Click on Documents to Share for further information. A Greater Manchester Neurosciences Network Board consisting of senior clinicians and managers was set up to direct and monitor the implementation process and GMNA was asked to provide the two user representatives.
• A successful application to the Big Lottery allowed us to appoint a part-time Development Worker and to begin our ‘Developing the Neuro Network’ Project. In the last two and a half years, Yvonne has spearheaded work with commissioners, providers, voluntary groups and individual users and carers in five areas of Greater Manchester, Salford, Bury, Bolton, Manchester City and Oldham. All these areas have some kind of Steering Group for Neuro Services and GMNA is represented on all of them. The views of users and carers in these areas have been fed back to those who plan and deliver services, open events have been held and two Local GMNA groups have been set up in Bury and Salford. Collecting the views and comments of service users and carers is an important part of our project and is on-going. If you would like to be involved by completing our questionnaire, please click on Documents to Share.
• The second stage of the project started in April 2008  with main funding from the Neurosciences Network Board.  GMNA will maintain its early links with Phase 1 areas but will also focus on the other areas of our patch ie. Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. By the end of March 2009, we hope to have made contact with all health and social care professionals involved in implementing the National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions, and begun to support their work towards achieving its quality requirements.
• GMNA is affiliated to the national Neurological Alliance and benefits greatly from the information it provides about government and other initiatives, from its high quality publications and from the opportunities it offers to share ideas and experiences with other alliances. It was the work of the Neurological Alliance which laid the groundwork for the National Service Framework for long-term Neurological Conditions. Their staff and volunteers contributed to many of the workshops and committees which produced the final documents in March 2005. Click on Useful links to go to their website.
• GMNA is one of about 15 Regional Neurological Alliances across the UK. We meet regularly to share ideas and discuss issues. We were the first Regional Alliance to appoint a Development Worker and our work has benefited enormously from having this additional resource. Click on Useful links for details of the different Regional Alliances websites.
• GMNA produces a newsletter, ‘Neuro Voices’, twice yearly. This valuable information resource is made possible by a grant from Manchester Guardian Society Charitable Trust. It has allowed us to keep in touch with service users, carers and professionals right across Greater Manchester, including contacts in the areas we will be focusing on from April 2008. Click on Documents to Share for the latest newsletter.