Clin Med
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This study assesses NHS doctors' experiences of paternity leave and evaluates whether practices have changed since the introduction of additional paternity leave (APL) in April 2011. An anonymised online survey designed to discover experiences and uptake of APL and ordinary paternity leave (OPL) was distributed to all members of the London Deanery Synapse® network. In total, 364 fathers responded. ⋯ Since the introduction of APL, 3% of respondents took additional leave. Reasons for the low uptake of APL included the impracticalities of the law, poor awareness and perceived attitudes and implications for training. Problems with OPL included the inadequate provision of cover and difficulties in timing the leave appropriately.
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This paper describes the unsatisfactory situation that currently affects the provision of neurological services in parts of England, as identified in three recent reports, and contains a number of suggested ways in which the situation might be improved, while highlighting the good work being done by specialist nurses and therapists and by the Neurological Alliance on behalf of patients and their families.