Atkinson Morley Neuromuscular Centre at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, South London, receives a prestigious Centre of Excellence award from leading national charity Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The charity for more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions awarded Atkinson Morley Neuromuscular Centre for providing outstanding care, promoting best practice locally and nationally and demonstrating their commitment to improving health and care for people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions.
In total 24 adult and paediatric neuromuscular centres across the UK, including St George’s Hospital, were recognised. The information gathered through the awards process provides a benchmark of neuromuscular services across all centres that took part in a national audit. This will help centres in their efforts to build business cases for additional NHS investment in core services.
Dr Niranjanan Nirmalananthan, Clinical Lead for the Neuromuscular Service at St George’s said: “It is a real honour to receive Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Centre of Excellence Award in recognition of the ongoing care and support that Atkinson Morley Neuromuscular Centre provides to patients in SouthWest London, Surrey and wider areas. We pride ourselves in providing holistic multi-disciplinary and multi-professional support for people living with a muscle wasting or weakening conditions, irrespective of where our patients live within our region. The award recognises not just the neuromuscular service but also our close collaborative working with colleagues in other specialties such as respiratory medicine, cardiology, genetics and integration with local community teams.”
The centres across the country can provide a lifeline for those living with a muscle wasting or weakening condition including Jessica Sturrock, a patient with Spinal Muscular Atrophy who receives Nusinersen treatment at St George’s Hospital. Jessica had the following to say about her care at the Atkinson Morley Neuromuscular Centre: “I don’t just visit as a patient whenever I attend St George’s, whether that be the Neuro team, neurosciences day unit or the physio team. I am made to feel part of the St George’s family. Everyone goes over and above to provide care, support and compassion and I am treated personally and sensitively on every visit. It’s almost a pleasure.”
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “We would like to congratulate Atkinson Morley Neuromuscular Centre that has been recognised with a Centre of Excellence award after a robust and rigorous assessment of their service by leading neuromuscular experts and members of the muscle wasting and weakening community. Despite continuing pressures and challenges within the NHS, these centres strive every day to ensure they promote best practice and provide an exemplary service.
“The findings from our Centre of Excellence awards demonstrate that many centres continue to require investment to develop specialist multi-disciplinary teams that can provide the best care possible along with a working environment that fosters the ability to conduct or support excellent research and clinical trials to advance treatments and other scientific progress. That’s why we’re calling on commissioners to include requirements for the provision of the recommended standards of neuromuscular care.”
Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Centres of Excellence awards take place every three years. The audit is overseen by the charity’s Services Development Committee, and an independent sub-committee of neuromuscular health professionals and people with lived experience of neuromuscular conditions. The audit reviews information, a range of case studies and examples of best practice as well as assessing the way neuromuscular services are organised and how people using the services can access them.
