Community Neuro Services

The Tower Hamlets Community Neuro Team including Community Speech and Language Therapy Services (THCNT) provides multi-disciplinary assessment and support for adults with neurological difficulties such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. MS, MND, Parkinson’s Disease).

The team comprises of clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, rehabilitation support workers a neuro navigator and an administrator. The community speech and language therapists see people with both neuro and non-neuro diagnoses.

We see people in their own home, in our dedicated gym or clinic space at Mile End Hospital or in other community settings as appropriate. Rehab provided by the team focuses on managing disability or helping patients to work towards set goals, maximising independence, safety, function and quality of life.

Each referral is triaged by a senior member of the team. As part of the detailed triage process the senior staff member will make contact with the patient/carer/Next of kin +/- the referrer to understand how the patients' neurological condition is impacting them at the present time in order to facilitate correct prioritisation of the referral according to clinical need. We triage each referral on an individual basis and take into account factors such as patient/carer anxiety, risk of deterioration, window of opportunity for maximum rehabilitation gains and social situation such as social isolation.  

Following triage, the patient is placed on the waiting list for the discipline identified as being required (e.g Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Psychology, Speech and Language therapy); or if appropriate, a patient may be invited to attend one of the various groups we offer in our service. Due to the nature of the caseload seen by THCNT, i.e. often requiring extended periods of rehabilitation or condition management, we are not a rapid response service.