Celebrating 10 years of the Motor Neurone Disease Care Centre under direction of Dr Agam Jung

31 August 2021

An expanded service, a visit from Princess Anne, a BBC documentary and now a feature in the high profile autobiography of Leeds Rhinos Rugby League player and MND sufferer Rob Burrows, the Leeds MND Care Centre takes a moment to mark the past 10 years.

From a small clinic once per month and 53 patients to three clinics per month and nearly double the number of patients and staff, the focus for the team is their care delivery model, which sees the patient and their family at the heart of care.

Highlights of the past 10 years include a visit from HRH Princess Royal, Patron of the MND Association in 2014, to inaugurate the Leeds MND Wheelchair Centre. Whilst visiting, Princess Anne referred to the MND Care Centre as "a real centre of excellence". The service has also featured in 2020 in a BBC documentary about the rugby player Rob Burrow, who was diagnosed with MND at the end of the previous year and who has done considerable work to raise the profile of MND.

Dr Jung says; “I’m so proud of this service and of the care we deliver to patients and their families. Working in this team is so very special and unique, we’re like one holistic family supporting the patient and their family, who are at the centre of everything we do.

“Our service is growing and on the back of Rob’s brave and admirable story, there’s definitely a higher profile for what we do. This means we will continue to develop, to expand and to learn about this disease. We’re looking to the next 10 years and what they might bring for the care that we offer and hopefully the research around MND.”

The service currently supports on average 83 patients, with 40 new referrals each year, which has been steadily rising over the past few years. There are now four clinics each month and a full team of 10 people. 

To find out more: www.leedsth.nhs.uk/a-z-of-services/leeds-motor-neurone-disease-mnd-care-centre/