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Nottingham University Hospitals receives dedicated Motor Neurone Disease research nurse as part of national scheme help patients and their families
A new Motor Neurone Disease senior research nurse has joined the Research and Innovation team at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), to help more patients take part in vital clinical trials to tackle this life-limiting condition.
Rebecca Ashton recently became part of the multi-disciplinary team to help Nottingham towards its ambition of becoming a regional centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research, to assist greater numbers of patients and their families.
The position is being funded by the MND Association as part of its ambitious £7.2 million Research Nurse Network being rolled out nationally. The aim is to give more people diagnosed with the disease the opportunity to take part in research across the UK.
In these new funded roles, research nurses provide patients with information about research, identify clinical trials they are eligible for, explain what is involved, and provide ongoing support if patients choose to take part.
Rebecca, an experienced research nurse who has previously worked in oncology, said: “I feel incredibly proud to be part of the Neurology team and to work alongside colleagues in our MND Care Centre.
“It’s inspiring to see research taking place right here in Nottingham and funded by the MND Association, and I am excited to support these opportunities for people living with MND and their families.
“Patients and their families are crying out for new treatments for this debilitating disease that affects many people and I am very motivated to play my part in making a difference.”
One patient who has already benefited from the support given by the MND Care Centre in Nottingham is retired farmer George Gidlow, who has worked as a dairy farmer on his family farm with a herd of 550 cows for much of his life.
George was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has since been treated by clinical nurse specialists, speech therapists and physicians at NUH.
George, aged 66, said:
“The team at NUH have been absolutely brilliant and are stars in the way they help me. They work so hard for patients and are very positive, so I am really supportive of anything they do to help people through this appalling disease.”
Erica Littleworth, Nottingham MND Care Centre Coordinator and clinical nurse specialist, added:
“People living with MND are keen to participate in research but often find it difficult to travel out of area to centres offering clinical trials. I am delighted that we have been joined by Rebecca who can drive the research side of our care centre forward and bring research opportunities closer to home.
“We are a very small team specialising in MND here at NUH and finding the time to sufficiently support patients with research opportunities has been challenging, so Rebecca’s support is very welcome.”
Dr Vincent Crosby, Lead MND Consultant, Director of the Nottingham MND Care Centre and consultant in palliative medicine in Nottingham, said: “Research will be a crucial part of the work taking place at our MND Care Centre in Nottingham. It is vital that we explore new ways of diagnosing and treating MND, for patients now and in the future.
“We are delighted that this post has been funded by the MND Association to help us offer more support to patients here in Nottingham.”
In time, MND Association Research Nurses will be embedded into the 24 MND Care Centres and Networks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Motor Neurone Disease Association Lead Research Nurse Kate Hartley said: “We’re delighted to welcome Rebecca Ashton as the MND Association Research Nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, joining our national Research Nurse Network.
“The programme is now progressing at pace. Research nurses play a vital role in advancing MND research and improving care.
“With the expansion of our £7.2 million Research Nurse Network, we’re building a future where research is embedded in care, and where every person living with MND can make empowered choices about their involvement in shaping tomorrow’s treatments.” For more information about MND and the MND Association please visit the MND Association website.