Published: 22 May 2024
The NHS has appointed Dr Jeremy Isaacs as the National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health.
Dr Jeremy Isaacs is an Honorary Reader in Neurology at St George’s, University of London and Director of the Neurosciences Clinical Academic Group. His research focuses on functional cognitive disorders, dementia and related conditions, and he is the Specialty Research Lead for Neurological Disorders, Neurodegeneration and Dementia for the South London Clinical Research Network.
Dr Isaacs is a Consultant Neurologist at St George’s Hospital, where he was Dementia Clinical Lead between 2010-2019, and Kingston Hospital, where he was Neurology Clinical Lead from 2014 to 2024.
At St George’s Hospital he is a member of the multidisciplinary Cognitive Neurology service. It’s here that Dr Isaacs developed a support group for young people living with dementia funded by the St George’s Hospital Charity.
Dr Isaacs’s clinical and leadership roles at St George’s led to him being appointed as Clinical Director of the NHS London Dementia Clinical Network from 2019 to 2024, where he led an extensive quality improvement programme. This included establishing the London Memory Service Network, memory service pathway redesign, championing joint working and multidisciplinary meetings between specialties, and designing and leading the first London and national memory service audits.
Alongside regular undergraduate teaching, he co-directs the MSc in Clinical Neuroscience Practice and the Structural Inequalities in the Clinical Neurosciences short course at St George’s, University of London.
Providing clinical leadership
National Clinical Directors are practising clinicians from across England who work part-time at NHS England, providing clinical leadership, advice, input and support across distinct areas of NHS conditions and services ranging from cancer and cardiovascular disease to urgent and emergency care and major trauma in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.
“It’s a huge privilege to be taking up this role. The NHS has taken huge strides since the first national dementia strategy was launched in 2009 in ensuring that people with dementia can access a diagnosis. My priority is ensuring that best practice in care following a diagnosis is available to everyone, throughout their dementia journey”.
- Dr Jeremy Isaacs, Honorary Reader in Neurology at St George's Neuroscience and Cell Biology Research Institute -
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said: “National Clinical Directors play a crucial role in supporting NHS England to deliver our key ambitions – they provide clinical advice and leadership to help drive transformation of services for patients, and ensure an NHS fit for the future.”
Learn more about St George’s Neurosciences Clinical Academic Group