MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY CAMPAIGN - STATE OF THE NATION SURVEY

That this House is aware of the Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Campaign's patient survey, State of the Nation, published in January 2013, which revealed that people suffering from MD continue to experience long delays for a correct diagnosis of their condition and access to a specialist consultant; notes that major reforms led by the NHS Commissioning Board are officially to go live on 1 April 2013, which promises sufferers integrated and effective care for patients at each stage of their treatment; and calls on the Government to ensure that all people with MD or related neuromuscular conditions are supported by multi-disciplinary teams of professionals accessible in their areas and for them to have regular access to specialists able to monitor potentially fatal heart, lung and digestive problems, with regional health boards setting target dates for implementation and establishing accountability criteria if standards are not met.