A new network to strengthen integrated care for patients with MND in Sussex is being inaugurated during Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Month. The inauguration will take place at BSMS on Friday 23 June.
Funded by the MND Association, the Sussex network will be the association’s 20th care and research centre (or network). The Director of the new network and Head of Neurology at BSMS, Professor Nigel Leigh established the very first MND care centre at King’s in 1995. He said: “By bringing experts working in MND together, we can provide a more patient-focused approach to caring for patients. Patient feedback has shown that their greatest need is for someone to coordinate their care, and to have their needs met as and when necessary. We believe that the network will help the region provide a better integrated approach to care, ensuring that equitable and accessible services are available across the region”.
The network will build on the expertise of existing multi-disciplinary clinics that are already delivering services in neurology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, physiotherapy and palliative care across the region, and help all health and social care professionals to improve services and support for people affected by MND, especially where there are gaps in local services. The network will achieve this through educational activities, discussions with patient groups, working with clinical commissioning groups to create new coordinators’ posts, and developing care pathways that will enhance transparency and equity of access. The network will also coordinate and audit efforts to achieve the standards set out in the recent NICE guidelines on MND care and to acquire feedback on the services from people affected by MND.
Stakeholders in the new network include patient representatives, local MND Association branches, hospital and community health professionals, palliative care and hospice teams, and researchers. While the primary focus is on care, the network will also provide a robust infrastructure for our ambitious programme of clinical research activities in areas such as epidemiology, neuroimaging, clinical trials, genetics and biomarkers.
Karen Pearce, Director of Care (South) at Motor Neurone Disease Association, said: ‘We are delighted to launch our 20th care and research network. We know that good research results in good care, and that coordinated care adds further to ensuring people with MND, their carers and families receive the best possible support. This is all the more significant as the launch is during the MND Association Awareness month.”
Find out more about the Sussex MND Care and Research Network >