North West Adult and Paediatric Neuromuscular Network Event Muscular Dystrophy: We can do Better!

Speaker Profiles

Christopher Morse

Christopher is a Reader in Exercise Physiology based at MMU Cheshire. His research looks at how neuromuscular function is affected by old age, lifelong conditions and physical activity. Recently he has collaborated with the Neuromuscular Centre to undertake research in exercise, physiotherapy, diet and physical activity in adults with muscular dystrophy.

Matthew Lanham

Matthew has been Chief Executive of The Neuromuscular Centre (NMC) for the last 13 years during which time the Centre has grown and developed a great deal. NMC is now accurately described as the national centre of excellence for people affected by muscular dystrophy. The NMC is a charity which needs £1.1m each year to provide its range of services and activities – ranging from Physio, to Accessible Gym, Carers breaks, Vocational training and Social Enterprise activity providing employment. NMC has recently received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and was winner of the King’s Fund GSK Impact Award 2015. Matthew is active in a number of health and charity networks; He is a member of the highly respected and influential King’s Fund Impact Award Winners Network. He is Trustee of Cheshire Connect, a charity/business skill share organisation. He is Chairman of The Social Audit Network spearheading effective impact measurement in the charitable sector. Matthew is a huge advocate for the charitable sector and believes that without its huge professional contribution, UK society would, in the face of cuts and austerity, be in an even more parlous state.

Aash Vyas

Consultant Chest Physician. One of three consultants at Royal Preston Hospital who deliver an acute in-patient respiratory service. Running an acute non-invasive ventilatory service from the ward, as well as being the main area for sepsis management in the division of medicine. Electively runs a tertiary centre multidisciplinary team airways service for difficult to diagnose and manage breathlessness. This service is supported by specialist Speech and Language Therapists and Physiotherapists. Also lead the multidisciplinary team neuromuscular respiratory service and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) services. The latter provides a holistic non-cancer palliation service. As part of the COPD remit we have a homecare COPD and oxygen team working across primary and secondary care.

Emily Nuttall

Consultant Chest Physician. Emily recently joined the team at Royal Preston Hospital to help run acute respiratory inpatient services as well as general and acute outpatient clinics. Has a specific interest in acute and long term ventilation and has joined the ventilation team covering Lancashire and Cumbria that manages a variety of conditions including COPD, neuromuscular conditions as well as obesity hypoventilation.

Alexander Murphy

Alex Murphy is a clinical research associate currently posted to the John Walton muscular dystrophy research centre, he is completing a PhD in neuromuscular medicine and how MRI can be used as an outcome measure in clinical trials. His research has included clinical and non-clinical studies investigating new ways MRI can be used to quantify progression of muscular dystrophy and scar tissue within the heart and muscles. He has a special interest in cardiac manifestations of muscular dystrophies and is undertaking a national audit of clinical practice and surveillance. During his time at the John Walton muscular dystrophy research centre Alex has had a wide experience of clinical trials into neuromuscular disease involving novel approaches to treatment such as exon skipping. Alex also works as a clinical care correspondent for the UK charity 'SMA support UK' and writes articles for the lay audience on the latest research.

Finbar O’Mahony

Consultant Special Care Dentistry. I qualified from Cork University Dental School and Hospital in 2010. Following graduation, I undertook vocational training on the West Coast of Scotland. I spent my foundation training in Glasgow, split between Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Paediatric Dentistry and Special Care Dentistry. I then spent 6 months as a Senior House Officer in Special Care Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Dundee Dental Hospital before I moved to the North West to take up my specialist training post. I qualified as a Specialist in Special Care Dentistry in 2016 and worked for Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust before joining Lancashire Teaching Hospitals as a consultant in March 2017.

Shiva Tripathi

Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Tripathi was appointed to the position in November 2007. His work, in addition to acute and chronic pain, involves fixed anaesthesia sessions for plastic surgery and emergency theatre which may involve any specialty. His interest is in facilitating awake surgical procedures under ultrasound guided nerve blocks. Following 3 years as clinical lead for pain services, he was appointed as Clinical Director for Pain Medicine in 2016. He believes that a combination of multidisciplinary cognitive behavioural and interventional techniques is needed to move forward with chronic pain management. He utilises ultrasound and fluoroscopic guided pain interventions to make them more safe and effective. He is also the lead for the neuromodulation services in chronic pain management delivered along with neurosurgical colleagues. Dr Tripathi has received various undergraduate and post graduate teaching awards, most recently that of Best Consultant Teacher Award at Manchester Medical School, for academic year 2014/15, when 88 nominations were submitted.

Alice Buttler

Medical Student, Manchester University. Alice worked with the neuromuscular team in Preston during her APEP placement, and completed a project on quality of life in the young people with neuromuscular disorders. .

Ruth McIver

Dr Ruth McIver, DClinPsy, CPsychol, Senior Clinical Psychologist at Children’s Psychological Services, Preston, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. Ruth completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Lancaster University, qualifying in 2005. She has always had a strong interest in physical health throughout training and completed her doctoral research thesis on quality of life in adults with end-stage renal disease. On qualifying, she began working for Children’s Psychological Services in Preston seeing community referrals, before moving to a CAMHS team in Trafford, Manchester in 2010 to take a post as Lead for Paediatric Liaison, providing psychological interventions for children and young people with physical health difficulties. Ruth returned to Children’s Psychological Services in Preston in 2016 to provide a general child health/paediatric psychology service. As part of this role, she has dedicated time within the Paediatric Neuromuscular Team at Royal Preston Hospital to provide direct clinical work, psychological consultation and supervision.

Kelly Parkinson

Kelly has been working as a children’s nurse for 14 years, predominantly with children with complex and additional needs. A number of these years were spent at a children’s hospice where valuable experience was gained on quality of life, dealing with difficult and complex conversations and supporting the wider family. She is very passionate about improving the quality of life of all of her patients and improving the service that she provides, following a holistic approach and working closely with the wider multidisciplinary team to support her families. Since commencing at Preston in July 2016 she has built trusting and productive relationships with the families she supports.

Susan Salt

Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Medical Director of Trinity Hospice and Brian House Children’s Hospice in Blackpool. Over 10 years of experience of supporting children with complex needs in a palliative care setting alongside paediatric colleagues. Member of the speciality transition group for the Royal College of Physicians looking at ways to support transition from paediatrics to adult services. Former Clinical lead for Lancashire and South Cumbria for adult palliative and end of life care.

Christian De Goede

Christian de Goede has been a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at the Royal Preston Hospital since December 2006. He is passionate about services for children with neurodisability including neuromuscular disorders. Christian and his team were awarded the 2016 Quality award, category ‘working together’, by the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Looking after children and young people with long term conditions, he is keen to further develop transition services. Christian has been a clinical lead in the Strategic Clinical Network since 2014 and more recently has been seconded to take the clinical lead for the Paediatric Sustainability and Transformation Programme (STP) in Lancashire and South Cumbria. While primarily a clinician, he has a keen interest in research.