The right decision
Moving away from Tower Hamlets
Many people look at what we did, breaking away from Tower Hamlets PCT, as being brave, as a mark of extreme confidence in our abilities. As with many decisions in life, ‘right’ ones are just the obvious direction, even if it is hard work. Right decisions just make sense. The events and choices pivot around that central decision and on the reason that it rests.
For Accelerate had in effect had a comprehensive service since 1994. We had built up an amazing multidisciplinary team. We knew of our waiting list from other boroughs. We knew of the need. We knew that the merger with an acute hospital would put all of this at risk. We knew that our unique take on compression and gait was needed by patients and we wanted to see more people have access to this life changing environment. We did not want to lose this. We did not want patients to lose this. But there were lots of things we did not know; but we did have the bravery to not rest our actions on the unknown unknowns!
The Accelerate way
So a great deal has happened in these intervening years. We have grown to around 30 members and diversified further. We have increased our reach into surrounding boroughs. Patients are referred from far and wide. We have a fantastic education programme and have started clinical research.
But the mission of changing lives remains the same. Our belief that ‘it does not have to be this way’ remains. This has meant that we have dug into this further, understanding the role of exercise, the impact of gait and falls, the importance of self-management and self-belief, the strength of data. We have also developed models for working alongside trusts and clinicians to bring about fabulous partnerships that have transformed lives. Data capture of success spurs us all on.