NEUROMUSCULAR SERVICES IN THE NHS SOUTH EAST COAST REGION

That this House congratulates the NHS South East Coast Specialised Commissioning Group (SECSCG) on its publication of a draft report on neuromuscular services in July 2010; notes that the report follows an in-depth review of specialised neuromuscular services in the region; further notes that there are some 5,000 people living in the South East Coast NHS region affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; further notes that the report follows a 12 month campaign by the South East Coast Muscle Group, a coalition of local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign; calls on the SECSCGto implement the recommendation to appoint a vital neuromuscular care adviser, a post which provides invaluable support for families living with these rare and very rare conditions; recognises that neuromuscular care advisers provide cost-effective care by helping to save consultant time and, as part of a multidisciplinary team, help to prevent expensive and traumatic emergency hospital admissions for this group of patients; further notes that the cost of unplanned emergency admissions for patients with neuromuscular conditions in the NHS South East Coast region was 5.4 million last year; and calls on the Government to urge the Specialised Commissioning Group to implement the recommendations of the report to ensure that all families living with muscle disease in the region have access to specialist multidisciplinary care which improves quality of life and increases life expectancy.