Lancashire Teaching Hospitals’ Paediatric Neuromuscular Service has received a prestigious Centre of Excellence award from leading national charity, Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The charity, which helps more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions, awarded the Trust’s Paediatric Neuromuscular Service 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, including the Trust’s Paediatric Neuromuscular Service, which is based at Royal Preston 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 Christian De Goede, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, said: 'I am delighted that our team has received the Centre Pursuing Clinical Excellence with Research award from Muscular Dystrophy UK.
“I am very proud of the recognition of our team, which provides excellent care to all the children with muscle conditions and their families in Lancashire and South Cumbria.
“While relatively new in post, our team has very rapidly made the muscle service their own. Their clinical skills, their passion to look after the children and their families and their motivation to constantly improve the service has been phenomenal and this award is testimony to their hard work.”
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “We would like to congratulate Lancashire Teaching Hospitals’ Paediatric Neuromuscular Service 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.
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: musculardystrophyuk.org/centreofexcellenceawards
