Training the leaders of tomorrow: why ABN clinical fellowships matter for the future of neurology скачать в хорошем качестве

Training the leaders of tomorrow: why ABN clinical fellowships matter for the future of neurology

The UK faces a major neurology workforce challenge. But how do we develop the clinical and academic leaders needed to build services for the future? In this episode of Neurovoices, ACNR Publisher Rachael Hansford speaks with Neil Robertson, President of the Association of British Neurologists, about the workforce pressures facing UK neurology and how ABN clinical fellowships aim to support the next generation of leaders. The ABN workforce report highlights the scale of the challenge facing neurology services. The UK currently has around 1.6 whole-time equivalent consultant neurologists per 100,000 population, far below the European average. But the issue is not simply one of numbers: modern neurology services are increasingly complex, multidisciplinary, and shaped by rapidly advancing therapies. In this conversation, Professor Robertson explains why reliable workforce data has been difficult to obtain, why counting whole-time equivalents rather than headcount is critical for service planning, and how the ABN hopes improved data will support stronger business cases for neurology services across the UK. The discussion also explores wider issues affecting the specialty, including: • increasing consultant workload and changing working patterns • the growing importance of multidisciplinary teams in neurological care • the decline in academic neurology and higher research degrees • the challenge of fitting subspecialisation into a shortened training curriculum Against this backdrop, ABN clinical fellowships are designed to identify and support talented clinicians early in their careers, helping to develop the academic, clinical and leadership skills needed to shape the future of neurology. As Professor Robertson notes, some of the most successful neurological services have been built by individual clinicians who combine patient advocacy with system leadership. These fellowships aim to nurture exactly those future “enthusiologists” - clinicians who will champion better neurological services for patients in the years ahead.