Memo to File
Memo to File
Luke Fehily & Tom O'Connor
Cerebral Palsy Programme of Excellence: How to Scale Specialist Healthcare
54 minutes Posted May 14, 2026 at 5:01 am.
Introduction
Lily's origin: Tommy, surgery and the book
Why build a programme: the implementation gap
Assembling the team and the families
Global models, advocacy and the right care
Developing hubs and the national register
Process, expectations and momentum
Loss of specialism, learnings and trade-offs
Wrapping up, career advice and the future
Digest segment with Beth Mallen
Sign-off from Tom
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Show notes

Lily Collison and Professor Jennifer Ryan discuss the Cerebral Palsy Programme of Excellence, a five-year initiative that is improving care for those with cerebral palsy in Ireland.

The Programme of Excellence is advancing a national register and advocacy group, in addition to supporting the development of a coordinated, evidence-based approach to care and research.

Lily Collison co-founded the Cerebral Palsy Programme of Excellence and serves on its Steering Group.

Jennifer Ryan is one of the three leads of the Cerebral Palsy Programme of Excellence, with a particular focus on CP in adulthood. She is also the Director of the CP-Life Research Centre at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

Junior doctor Beth Mallen joins us for the digest segment.

Archival clip during introduction: Then-Minister for Health, Mary Harney, discussing the Irish health system in a Progressive Democrats podcast.

Further Reading: