University Hospitals Plymouth Neuromuscular Centre Recognised For Outstanding Care
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) has received 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 UHP 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 neuromuscular centres across the UK 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. Elizabeth Househam, Consultant Neurologist and Neuromuscular Specialist at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: “The neuromuscular care team at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS trust are delighted to receive this award for the first time in recognition of our hard work and dedication to provide the best possible service to our patients here in the Southwest.
“By having the award from Muscular Dystrophy UK we are hoping we may now be recognised by NHS England and the commissioners to be able to prescribe some of the newer emerging treatments for conditions like Myasthenia, SMA and Duchenne. This would be a major achievement in improving access to care as the current commissioning rules mean patients have to travel outside the region if they wish to consider these treatments.”
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “We would like to congratulate University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust 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.
For further information on Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Centre of Excellence awards visit:
