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Neuropsychology

  • The Worcestershire Neuropsychology Service provides neuropsychological assessment, intervention and neuro-rehabilitation to patients with a wide range of long-term neurological conditions who are aged 18 years and above.

  • Service Contact: whcnhs.neuropsychology@nhs.net
  • Address: Neuropsychology Service William Astley Ward Evesham Community Hospital Waterside, Evesham, WR11 1JT
  • Reception hours: Business hours: Monday to Friday office hours
  • Reception phone number: 01905 681811
  • Service hours: Monday to Friday office hours

About the service

The Worcestershire Neuropsychology Service provides neuropsychological assessment, intervention and neuro-rehabilitation to patients with a wide range of long-term neurological conditions who are aged 18 years and above.

The service is based at three locations throughout the county:

  • The Wulstan Unit, Worcestershire Royal Hospital
  • Princess of Wales Community Hospital, Bromsgrove
  • Evesham Community Hospital, Evesham

Below are some examples of the types of work within our service:

  • Assessment of cognitive abilities
  • Providing support relating to cognitive compensatory strategies
  • Support regarding return to work
  • Treatment of mental health including depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and difficulties adjusting to your neurological condition, where your mental health needs have been caused by your neurological condition or whereby your neurological condition means you could not access mental health services
  • Working with families to help the, manage severe cognitive and behavioural changes in their loved one

Services we provide

Clinical neuropsychology is based on brain-behaviour relationships, and it examines how the structure and function of the brain relate to psychological processes.

Neuropsychological assessments are an objective way of quantifying and characterising the cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects of changes in brain function and can occur as the result of acquired injury, or with disease, affecting the brain.

An assessment can provide important information about the impact of changes in functioning and how this may be impacting on everyday functioning, such as working, managing finances or self-care.

In addition to assessment clinical neuropsychology can provide information to patients and their families to help them understand and adapt to the changes that can result from brain damage.

Neuropsychological tests assess a variety of cognitive abilities, including intellectual function, memory, language, visual perception and visuospatial skills, planning, reasoning, decision making, and attention and concentration.

Whilst neuropsychological assessments are a core component of a neuropsychological assessment, the assessment also focuses on a person’s psychological, personal, interpersonal and wider contextual circumstances.

Make a referral

Who can make a referral ?

At the current time only patients open to Worcestershire Integrated Neurology Team can access the service.

Referral criteria

Please note that the neuropsychology service across Worcestershire has extremely limited capacity and current wait times are between 18 – 24 months

Referrals are only accepted via the Integrated Neurology Team Single Point of Access (SPA): whcnhs.cnrtreferrals@nhs.net

To be accepted the following criteria must be met:

  • Confirmed diagnosis of neurological condition
  • Aged 18+
  • Due to the constraints of the service, we are only able to accept referrals for people who are experiencing the more complex effects of the neurological condition and require at least 2 disciplines to be involved in their care
  • The person’s neurological condition must be the main presenting issue
  • The patient has consented to the referral

Exclusion Criteria

  • Diagnostic referrals
  • Dementia in the absence of other neurological conditions
  • When the neurological condition is not the main presenting issue, for example when a person’s mental health needs are the predominant issue
  • When the person is unable or unwilling to participate in a neuropsychological assessment, rehabilitation or neuropsychotherapy
  • Where there is significant substance misuse (joint working may considered if appropriate)
  • Uncomplicated adjustment to diagnosis or where the person’s needs could be met in mainstream adult/ older adult mental health services (consider referral to Talking Therapies, Headway, Mental Health Services)
  • Where the person is experiencing an acute psychosis
  • Interventions for Severe & Enduing Mental Health Problems
  • Migraine & Headache
  • Autism
  • Tourette’s syndrome

On rare occasions we can prioritise referrals. This will be carried out using the following criteria:

  • When neuropsychological support is required to support inpatient discharge planning
  • When the person is experiencing significant psychological distress and / or cognitive and behavioural changes, which may have the potential to lead to a breakdown in family relationships, disruption to rehabilitation or a breakdown in the person’s current placement
  • Where there is a need relating to return to employment or when a person’s neurological condition is impacting on their working role and there is a risk of job loss

What may be offered:

  • Neuropsychological/ cognitive assessment
  • Neuropsychological/ cognitive rehabilitation
  • Psychological Intervention (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Integrative Approaches, Systemic Therapy Approaches, Relational approaches)
  • Couples & Family Work
  • Advice, consultation and care planning (including behaviours that challenge)
  • Group Interventions focused on cognitive interventions/rehabilitation