MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY SERVICES IN THE SOUTH WEST

That this House congratulates the NHS South West Specialised Commissioning Group on their announcement of a new £1 million Neuromuscular Strategy; notes that this will serve the 5,000 people living in the South West affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; further notes that the investment is the result of a 12 month review in response to the publication of the Building on the Foundations report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in December 2007 which highlighted that inadequate service provision for people affected by these progressive muscle-wasting conditions living in the South West of England was leading to premature deaths and poor standards of care; calls on specialised commissioning groups across the country to follow the lead of the South West; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who worked together to fight for fair access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the South West.