Thursday 9 July 2009
Progress welcomed in fight for better services in West Midlands
The West Midlands Muscle Group welcomed the agreement for a review of neuromuscular services in the region by the West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group. The review group will meet for the first time at the end of July and will include representatives from the Muscle Group, leading neuromuscular clinicians in the region and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.
The group, which met on 9 July, also focused on failings in Wheelchair Services across the region. Families from Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Stafford spoke about their long waits for equipment and the battle to receive wheelchairs that were appropriate for their muscle condition.
A woman with facioscapulohumeral (fsh) muscular dystrophy told how she was only offered a manual wheelchair, despite her condition making it difficult to propel herself. Another group member, who has Becker muscular dystrophy, had to spend six months as an inpatient in hospital waiting to receive his wheelchair.
The West Midlands Muscle Group was launched in April with the publication of Building on the Foundations: the need for a neuromuscular service across the West Midlands. The group meets quarterly at different locations across the region.
The next meeting will be taking place in Sutton Coldfield in October. For more details or to join the Muscle Group, please contact the Policy and Campaigns Team:
0207 803 2865
campaigns@muscular-dystrophy.org
