Conferences

“We all loved having the chance to be listened to which is something we feel we haven’t had a chance to do on our journeys” - Vicky, stroke survivor and founder of the Stroke2Strength support group.

Building on the success from last year, the ISDN hosted its 2nd Stroke Rehabilitation Conference on 2nd April 2025.

Supported by Innerva, Social-ability, Reneural, Gripable, Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, Stroke Association and Different Strokes, the conference welcomed over 100 visitors. A thought-provoking panel discussion featuring individuals with lived experience of stroke at a younger, working age began the conference. Hearing their powerful personal stories offered valuable insights into the recovery journey and highlighted key opportunities for improving care and support.

Following the opening speech and SQuIRe update by Rebecca Fisher, a range of invited speakers led sessions on a wide range of topics including the introduction of a younger person stroke pathway, vision assessment, neuropsychology, the role of ACPs in stroke rehabilitation, specialist seating and spasticity management. Finally, in recognition of the tremendous pressure on clinicians and therapists in the NHS, Doug Youngson from the Stroke Association shared with us some great tips on how to find the time to rest.

12 teams from across the region presented posters showcasing their innovative projects and research, as shown below.