A nurse has been recruited by a charity dedicated to motor neurone disease (MND), in order to help drive forward research into the condition.
The Motor Neurone Disease Association has announced the appointment of Andy Hamilton as the first fully funded research nurse for its new research nurse network.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with research nurse colleagues across the country”
Andy Hamilton
Experienced research nurse Mr Hamilton is currently part of the Newcastle Care Centre team based at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, which is run by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
He will be based in the trust’s MND Care and Research Centre, where he will integrate with the existing multidisciplinary team that supports around 170 people with MND in the Newcastle region.
Under the association’s ambitious £7.2m research nurse network, more people diagnosed with MND will have the opportunity to take part in research across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It announced the creation of the new nursing network in February last year, backed by investment for an initial five years.
The charity noted that research nurses provided people with information about research, identified trials they were eligible for, explained what was involved and then offered ongoing support.
The charity hopes that, in time, MND Association research nurses will be embedded into the 24 MND Care Centres and Networks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Recruitment for research nurses at several other sites is already ongoing, with more on the way as part of the nationwide rollout, it said.
Speaking on his appointment, Mr Hamilton said: “I feel privileged that my role is the first in the country to receive funding from the MND Association.
“The funding will help Newcastle to continue to provide the latest clinical trials and potential treatments for this devastating disease, something I feel passionate about.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with research nurse colleagues across the country as they commence their roles and to share best practice,” he added.
Tanya Curry, chief executive at the MND Association, said: “Our community has told us just how challenging it can be to get the information they need about taking part in clinical trials.
“It’s a complex process, and one which can rob them of precious time with their loved ones,” she said. “This has to change.
“We want to give everyone living with motor neurone disease the choice to take part in and influence the future of MND research.”
She added: “Our MND Research Nurse Network will do just that, providing the support, expertise and knowledge needed to create equitable access to trials for all.”
“It’s a big investment – £7.2m over four years – but one that will make a huge difference to people with MND and revolutionise how trials are accessed across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
The MND Association focuses on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work.
The condition affects more than 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. Six people per day are diagnosed with MND in the UK and the same number die from it each day, just under 2,200 per year.
It has no cure and kills a third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis, noted the association.
